Estival Chill: Craft Spells, Idle Labor.

When it comes to all things voguish and chillwavish, whilst you may have helplessly fawned over the pseudo disco swoon of Kisses late last year, in glorious spring sunshine you're probably after something a little less frigid, equally heartwarming yet perhaps a little more radiant in itself. If you're of a been there, done that, got the Hipstamatic app mentality towards the faux-genre de hier, Craft Spells' largely superb debut LP Idle Labor is as logical a progression as any. Craft Spells, or Justin Paul Vallesteros to the pedants out there (myself included) roped in an acquaintance/crony or two to conjure the record: three parts reverb-soaked stringy guitars, the bones and wires of a mechanically rhythmic skeleton, two parts woozy organ and that all important lomographic sleeve photo. And the result is an album entrenched in retro that simultaneously forces its way through the most concrete heart in urbane splendour like voluptuous roots upheaving insipid urban pavements. Opening with the dazed synth sway of For the Ages, Idle Labor is a work that if it clicks, it clicks instantaneously. And if it clicks, you'll be clicking through your iPod library rabidly in search of it. Scandinavian Crush is a tumultuous wave of whirring ebullience that crashes down upon the vulnerable early Cure-ish guitars and soothing Brad Haggert-like drone of The Fog Rose High. From the Morning Heat sounds like a lost gem encased within the Walkman of a glistening jogger pacing along Venice Beach, whilst Party Talk is the aforementioned Kisses reincarnated as Real Estate, the result intoxicating, one that time may prove timeless. The off-kilter drum machine throb of Your Tomb is just about the right side of rambling, whilst You Should Close the Door, with its relentless bass thrumming is sublime, complimented by gravelly, nigh on incomprehensible baritone. Yet the show stealer here, that which captures glorious Californian rays, seals them away in a jar to then hurl them down your internal ears is After the Moment. Slap on the sunscreen and hit play, then repeat until a tawny shade of bronze.