Sian Alice Group

Sian Alice Group spend a good chunk of their debut full-length gradually building a mood, circling around their songs rather than tackling them head-on. When pop structure interrupts the soundtrack-y vibe, it's modestly and briefly, as if too much of singer Sian Ahern's sad, smoky voice would lessen the mystery. But they establish a beautifully woozy tension: "Heartless" glides around strings, piano, and vocals, unsure of whether it wants to drift away on an ice floe, Sigur Rós style, or chill in a classical concert hall.

By Josh Modell