Heaven or Las Vegas

As a dream pop enjoyer I had to go back to the genre's roots. It's always difficult to go back to the beginnings of a genre and — having listened to many artists that have already iterated on the sound — observe it with a perspective of its time. Heaven or Las Vegas holds up better than most genre-defining albums I've listened to, as I tend to avoid listening to older foundational records to avoid being let down. The Scottish trio crafts a beautiful, lush soundscape that immediately pulls you into it's warm embrace. It's a collection of dreamy songs that sound nostalgic even on the first listen. The singer's vocals are less about conveying lyrics and their meaning, and more about being another instrument on top of the already dense instrumentals. I believe some of the vocals aren't even words, but rather just gibberish, and it still sounds incredible. My only gripe would be that the album suffers slightly from sonic homogeneity; the tracks tend to blur together to the point where some become forgettable, or rather pale in comparison to the surrounding bangers. Favorite tracks: Heaven or Las Vegas, Cherry-coloured Funk, Pitch the Baby, Iceblink Luck, I Wear Your Ring