Bob and Veronica Ride Again

Energetic and genuine, U.K. band Morton Valence's quirk shines through its U.S. debut, Bob and Veronica Ride Again.

Electronic mixed-gender Brit-pop outfit Morton Valence defies a singular comparison on its U.S. debut, Bob and Veronica Ride Again, which bounces from surging, swinging choruses to lazy lounge grooves, channeling the likes of Grandaddy, Beck, Calexico, and plenty of others. The album darts from epic pop anthems to precious heartfelt ballads, building a subtly diverse collection of mix-tape bait in the process. Aside from the occasional melodramatic flourish, Bob and Veronica Ride Again delivers. The second track, “Chandelier,” with its delicate music-box accents of bells and twinkling keys, manages a simultaneously catchy and chilly sound. The album’s closer, “Go To Sleep,” becomes a simple, minor-key lullaby, featuring frontwoman Anne Gilpin’s breathy, sullen vocals. These two tracks nicely book-end an album that overall, serves as the perfect lonely bedtime accompaniment.