@ Mind Palace Music LP (Tangerine Vinyl)

With an affinity for blending digital with analog elements, @ describe Mind Palace Music as "hyperfolk," though the record never feels self-indulgent. Rose and Filipczak are just as inspired by the thoughtful delicacy of ambient pioneers like Laurie Spiegel as they are by the timeless quality of singer-songwriters like Vashti Bunyan. You can feel the influence of those '70s folk greats while also evoking the tender drone and foolproof melodies of Elliott Smith, Alex G, or Sparklehorse.

On their debut album, Mind Palace Music, @ present a winsome hybrid of melodic acoustic songwriting, ambitious arrangements, and the type of smart, lo-fi chamber pop that harkens back to the Elephant 6 Collective's more ornate side. Add to that echoes of U.K. folk, '60s psych, and even '70s prog rock, though these descriptions make them sound overly complex and rooted in the past, which they are not. In fact, @'s songs are surprisingly approachable with direct yet nimble melodies and enough free space to support the unique quirks scattered throughout the set....As collaborators, Rose and Filipczak have loads of chemistry, and their pooled strengths make this debut a creative triumph.