Ladybug Transistor

The Ladybug Transistor's transition from Slanted and Enchanted disciples to a group of ersatz Burt Bacharachs was originally befuddling, but upon the musical results, an ultimately satisfying and glorious reinvention. The release of Beverly Atonale in 1997 saw them concentrating on a sunny, pastoral sound draped in whispered vocals and big, open skies. The '99 release of The Albemarle Sound sees them taking this metamorphosis even further with mammoth, lush orchestrations and dexterous melodies that seem to have been uprooted from the burial ground of soft, psychedelic idealism. Cowbells, string arrangements, segments of "Blue Moon," and Morricone-inspired Western themes are all part of the Ladybug Transistor's retro-pop itinerary. Alongside peers like the Elephant 6 collective and the Lilys, they manage to conjure up romanticized images of the past while not having to deal with such bubble-bursters as Altamont and the Vietnam War.