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Feb 11, 2014Innumerable intricacies layered into the background make for an encompassing wall of notes that pulls you into a unusual dance.
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Jan 31, 2014Goldsworthy has built a stratum of battered, creaky atmosphere atop Gardens & Villa's already richly layered mood.
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Jan 31, 2014Compared to their debut album, Dunes marks a step up in the band's sound.
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Feb 4, 2014Dunes is a perfect match of band, songs, and producer that works almost perfectly and should mean that the days of Gardens & Villa being compared to their peers are over.
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Jan 31, 2014Ultimately, Dunes is a collection of tracks which showcases Gardens & Villa’s distinctly original twist on the well-worn and much abused genre of synth-pop. It’s fun, it’s clever and it’s mature--electro-pop for adults.
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Nov 6, 2014They've clearly outgrown the indie rock of their eponymous 2011 debut, dialing up the grooves and down the strum.
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Feb 6, 2014It's a record that finds Gardens & Villa building considerable substance on top of their tried and trusted techniques.
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Feb 6, 2014It’s that they’re one of many bands following this particular path and Dunes’ best hope is that you haven’t heard any of them yet.
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MojoFeb 11, 2014The debut's sinister clouds are replaced by spry digital funk and studio sheen. [Mar 2014, p.96]
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Feb 6, 2014Goldsworthy’s highly layered mix of sounds maintains a pleasant balance between harder edges and winsome feel-good vibes.
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Feb 3, 2014Unfortunately, while on Dunes’ better songs Gardens & Villa have succeeded at claiming their own sound, the issue that they currently face is that their sound simply isn’t very memorable.
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Jan 31, 2014Gardens + Villa undoubtedly have many toys at which they're more than adept at manipulating--just a shame there aren't better songs for them to adorn.
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Jan 31, 2014Former DFA man Tim Goldsworthy has helped them find more sonic sparkle in the production of their second album Dunes, but they nonetheless remain a confused proposition.
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Feb 5, 2014While the band’s proficiency can create high spots, the overall sense is that its tight-knit tunes and detached feelings might have been enhanced more under a Californian sun than worked out in bleak midwinter experimentation.