File this under the radar. But, please find it. The debut album from Grand Lake is a little gem. A wistful creation of refined textures. Short and sweet, it only contains 8 tracks, it dishes out little melodies and creative pop tunes. Grand Lake is the brainchild of Caleb Nichols, formerly of Port O'Brien, who plays bass and takes most of the vocal duties. Rounding out the band are Jameson Swanagon and John Pomeroy. Hailing from Oakland, California they are in tune with the golden times of pop melody, having a distinct knack for creating music that is subtle and quietly arresting. Of particular note is the opening track in "Concrete Blonde On Blonde" which bubbles and perculates as it delves under your skin.

Thankfully there are plenty more gems to discover along the way. "Nevermint" staggers back and forth with some delicious guitar interplay, whilst "The Stars Are Not Projectors" is a pulsating song with real energy. "She's A Hater" is also a feature, with its loping rhythms and persuasive insistency and "Oedipus Hex" is sure to please with a style reminiscent of The Wrens. This is quite an impressive debut, concise, taut and full of melody and style. "Nevermint" is now available from 500 Records. It is well worth your time.

MP3: Concrete Blonde On Blonde-Grand Lake