EP

Swedish duo Death and Vanilla arrived fully formed, as their debut self-titled EP shows that they had their sound down right away. Mixing the finely layered sound of '90s bands like Stereolab and Broadcast with atmospheric soundtrack music influences and a healthy interest in vintage keyboards, they came up with something instantly familiar while still being idiosyncratic enough to sound fresh. Plus, they had a knack for combining their pristinely wrought sound with songs that sneak into the listener's consciousness and lodge themselves firmly there. Released in a very limited edition in 2010, the EP contains four songs that are equally impressive. Whether it's the thumping drone of the opening "Ghost in the Machine," the spookily pretty "Godspeed," the reverb-drowned psychedelic rambler "Run Rabbit Run," or the soundtracky ballad "The Colour of Space," the band shows no growing pains or learning curve. They just sound great right from the beginning, ready-made and full of promise (and also a very worthy heir to bands like Broadcast that so obviously inspired them). ~ Tim Sendra