Gardens & Villa - Gardens & Villa (2010) Review
Gardens & Villa is an indie band from Santa Barbara, California comprising of four members: Chris Lynch, Adam Rasmussen, Levi Hayden, and Shane McKillop. This band is kind of a hidden gem since they have a decent number of good songs, yet I hardly ever see anyone mention them. They have a cool sound that is somewhat electronic and somewhat nostalgic for 60s psych-pop, particularly for this debut self-titled album.
The album begins with “Black Hills” and it is my favorite song on the album. This song is incredibly underrated and is one of the best psych-pop songs of the 2010s. The sound selection all over this track is so good, but the rhythmic two-chord synth stands out for me. The contrast between the chimes and the distorted synth creates an interesting landscape. This is an all-around great song and is a must-listen if you enjoy synth-pop or psych-pop.
"Cruise Ship" is another song with a great sound selection. It’s dreamy keys and reverb-drenched vocals bring out such a laid-back song. Levi Hayden's groovy drumming adds a hypnotic quality to the song and really carries the feeling of the track. "Thorn Castles" leans way into the early 2010s indie sound, and sounds the most of the era. It’s just over two minutes, and keeps it to the point, any longer and it would have felt like it was dragging. A good time capsule of 2010s hipster-indie pop.
“Orange Blossom” is another stand-out track on the album. The bouncy bass on this song is excellent and reminds me of something Toro y Moi or Blood Orange would make. Another groovy track and all-around a highlight of the album.
“Spacetime” introduces a surf rock-inspired beat that hits those nostalgic 2010s hipster sounds. The backing "space...time" vocals don't really do much for me, but the tempo change in the second half brings a much more psychedelic dynamic."Chemtrails" takes a lower energy, psychedelic ballad approach. While it's a change of pace compared to the earlier song, I find it too slow and lacking the energy of the earlier tracks. The first miss of the album for me.
"Star Fire Power" is a decent track, though it feels a little too long. The distorted bass is a highlight of the song, a super cool sound. Pretty decent song overall. “Sunday Morning” is another slow psych ballad. It almost sounds like they are going for a bit of a Beatles-type of sound but it is not as cerebral as it could have been. It’s an okay song, not the worst on here, but clearly not the best.
"Carrizo Plain" continues the trend of slow psych ballads. By this point in the album, I began craving some more energy. It feels somewhat repetitive and is another miss for me. The final track of the album is “Neon Dove” and it picks up the pace a little bit more than the last couple of songs. This song has some elements in it that remind me a bit of MGMT, and I love MGMT so that’s a good thing. It’s a good song to end the album since it gives off definitive and conclusive vibes.
Although Gardens & Villa’s first half is better than its second half, it’s worth giving a chance since you will probably like a few songs. Several tracks, such as "Black Hills" and "Orange Blossom," stand out as excellent highlights. Gardens & Villa is a band worth checking out, with a decent number of good songs in their discography they deserve some more recognition.
6/10 - Above Average