Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective

Deerhunter's Bradford Cox released his Atlas Sound side project album debut last year and now it's guitarist's Lockett Pundt's turn to showcase his talent as Lotus Plaza, whose debut album, The Floodlight Collective, is due out on March 23rd. Aside from some guest drumming from Cox on the song "Different Mirrors," this album is composed entirely by Pundt. Before listening, I naturally assumed that The Floodlight Collective would sound like a lesser version of Deerhunter. While you can obviously hear bits of Deerhunter's sound and influences in the album, Lotus Plaza definitely has Pundt's own stamp on it. There's a gorgeous shimmering shoegazey aesthetic that starts with opening song, "Red Oak Way," and stays with the rest of these entrancing ten tracks, giving the album a sense of cohesion and depth. Although Deerhunter may seem to be heading in a poppier direction after the release of Microcastle last year, it's clear that Pundt's love of layers and dream-pop soundscapes is what gave them their signature sound in the first place. I'd even venture to say that I enjoy this album more than Cox's Atlas Sound debut (but probably not more than his unreleased leaked album, Logos, which may never see the light of day). For those of you that wished Deerhunter had retained more of their shoegaze sensibilities on Microcastle, The Floodlight Collective will satisfy your demands.

DOWNLOAD: Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective [Kranky]
Recommended Tracks: "Quicksand," "Different Mirrors," "Whiteout," "What Grows?," "Antoine."