By Mira Rathman

Snowbird’s first musical release, moon, is an ethereal journey – the kind of album you close your eyes to and let sweep you away into a dreamscape.  Snowbird is comprised of Simon Raymonde, formerly of Cocteau Twins, and Stephanie Dosen, who has previously collaborated with The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, and José González. Raymonde and Dosen have worked together before in creating Dosen’s second album A Lily in the Spectre in 2007. The album was released on the Bella Union record label, which was founded by Raymonde himself and includes such artists as Fleet Foxes, M. Ward, and Andrew Bird.

Stephanie Dosen’s voice carries you lightly like a feather, and although initially hers is not the kind of vocals I generally enjoy, her voice soothes you in a way very few other things could. Her voice really steals you away, especially when paired with Raymonde’s instrumental prowess.

‘I Heard the Owl Call My Name’ is a mesmerizing opener with overlapping, heavily layered vocals and harmonies fueled by a strong beat and simplistic bassline. The layered vocals are a feature that continues throughout the album, although the strong rhythmic feel to the first song is not seen as often. Songs that stood out most to me were ‘All Wishes Are Ghosts’, ‘Amelia’, and ‘Heart of the Woods’.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD4udA5C70c&h=297&w=450]

‘All Wishes Are Ghosts’ is simply whimsical with its fluttering flute parts and balladic piano. ‘Amelia’ is soft and melancholic thanks to its shy piano and bare vocals – the most stripped down song on the album. ‘Heart of the Woods’ finishes out the album. Its drum machine beats and haunting guitar give it a great atmospheric feel that builds into the more cheerful chorus. It’s catchy and contenting, which ultimately makes it my favorite song on the album.

Snowbird’s sound never strays too far from it’s dream-pop sound, but they take care that this sound is perfected do so elegantly. Moon might not be an album for everyone; to some, it might be boring or bland. But, personally, I found that it grew on me each time I listened, providing a wonderfully soothing place in my mind to just relax and enjoy the music.

Score: 3.8/5

Check out Snowbird on Facebook and iTunes