Paradise + Lady Lamb the Beekeeper | Track reviews

“Psychic Returns”
Paradise

Nedelle Torrisi made us swoon in the band Cryptacize. The L.A. singer’s delicate yet playful way with a lyric was never less than endearing. As Paradise, Torrisi foregrounds her soothing voice but also adds a layer of artifice. “Psychic Returns” has the components of a new romantic ballad, a heavenly processional that rises slowly, riding an artificial pulse and echo-laden synthetic hand claps. The singer has found a sympathetic collaborator in Kenny Gilmore, a member of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti whose woozy production adds an extra-terrestrial quality. Strings and synths swell as Torrisi’s lush, layered voice mushrooms into a billowy choir. The effect is transportive, each breathtaking moment carefully rendered, then gradually stripped away until only her voice, piano and a few gentle guitar chords remain. “The bridge disappears between us / It’s so mysterious.” And with that she lets the thought, and the moment, linger like an ellipses.

“Rooftop”
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper sounds like someone you’d inevitably encounter at a petting zoo, a prospect that might appeal to Aly Spaltro, who doles out charming indie-pop under the alias. “Rooftop,” a teaser for her forthcoming debut, is a nimble introduction, a bustling platform for Spaltro to spread her message, which she does with a voice that’s deeper and less dainty than you might expect, owing something to Chrissie Hynde or Liz Phair. Like those women, Spalto carries an allure, though not for the same reasons. On “Rooftops,” it sounds as if she’s having more fun than either of them, yet she exudes unwavering cool throughout. Tip-toeing verses blossom into sweeping choruses that arrive like a tidal wave, teeming with bells and whistles. By the time we get to the exuberant finale, winding guitars splinter into a stuttering cacophony. Come to think of it, it’s a little like bees swarming, but without the danger of being stung.