Fauna

Prospective Records artists Fauna turn Shoegazer on itself, creating a more abrasive and injured sound than say, Cocteau Twins. Not to say there's any lack of melody -- underneath these songs' blankets of distorted vibrato exist shimmering, finely-tuned melodies. The production is meticulous and creative -- songs present themselves as collections of extremist production ideas, choppy and Doppler-affecting one moment, bright and linear the next. Ultimately, Fauna maintain a rare and near-perfect balance of creativity and pop magnetism, an accomplishment that places real and hard-earned value on each and every song.