Architecture in Helsinki - Escapee 8.3/10

Architecture in Helsinki is an indie electronic band from Melbourne, Australia. This track is taken from their album Moment Bends which was released by Cooperative Music in 2011. This is a fun, danceable track that makes me think of late night revelry under the stars. Frontman Cameron Bird's lyrics offer little clue as to who or what the 'escapee' is escaping, though it may be from a troubled relationship. His words are chosen more for the sounds the rhymes elicit than for any coherent images they create. The strident synths and bouncy rhythm make it almost impossible not to move your body in time with the beats, so expect to find yourself putting this one on repeat. The album Moment Bends is patchy with a few great individual songs, but Escapee is the record's undisputed highlight.

Brothertiger - Back To Us 8.5/10

Brothertiger is an indie electronic project by John Jagos from Athens, Ohio. This track is taken from his EP called Point of View which was released by Collective Crowd Records in 2011. For those who enjoy sunny, poppy chillwave, look no further than the work of Brothertiger. This is a warm, relaxing track with classic synths and echoing custard cream vocals. Jagos sings of his longing to be near someone he misses; he name-drops The Police's Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, a song which seems to serve as his muse for this track. This is as syrupy as chillwave gets, feel good music ready to brighten up a rainy day.

Wise Blood - Darlin You're Sweet 8.5/10

Wise Blood is an indie electronic pop project by Chris Laufman from Pittsburgh, USA. This track is taken from his EP called These Wings which was released by Dovecote Records in 2011. This is an electro dance track done in slow motion, a chillout song for a quiet night in at home. For a bedroom lo-fi recording the production quality is high, and Laufman's layered vocals sung in a half-whisper and half-falsetto come across as fully sincere. He describes his love for his partner, and worries that he may not be everything that they need him to be, while also wondering if they are everything that he needs. The sampled backing vocals used during the bridge sound like a full church choir and add considerable volume and atmosphere. This is the standout track from the EP These Wings, and the best track so far from Wise Blood; hopefully he's working on more material that pushes the boundaries of bedroom electro pop the way Darlin You're Sweet does.

Sic Alps - Cement Surfboard 8.4/10

Sic Alps is a lo-fi psychedelic indie band from San Francisco, USA. This track is taken from their album Napa Asylum which was released by Drag City Records in 2011. This is a chilled out, kick back on the porch with a beer and watch the sunset on a summer evening kind of song. Clean, clear guitar lines with a deceptively simple hook are merged with lead singer Mike Donovan's drawlingly endearing vocals. He sings of 'going back in time', which isn't much of a stretch for the 60's throwback style he's aiming for. Name-checking the Jackson 5 sounds just out of place enough to feel slightly quirky, but you'll hardly notice as his delivery of the line is so laid back its almost horizontal. The drumming and percussion is understated and low-key, yet perfectly executed to complement the crisp slashes of guitar between the verses. If you like the style of this track, the whole album Napa Asylum offers the same kind of blissed-out sunny retro feeling.

Born Gold - Wrinklecarver 8.3/10

Born Gold is the stage name of Cecil Frena, an indie electro pop artist originally from Edmonton, Canada. This track is taken from his debut album Bodysongs released by Crash Cymbals Records in 2011(freely available on Bandcamp). Sometimes I'm astonished when a song that seems destined to be heard around the world remains almost completely unknown, and that is certainly the case with Wrinklecarver. If this had been played a few times on major radio stations Frena would be a household name by now. His former project Gobble Gobble included Claire Boucher (Grimes) and Corin Roddick and Megan James (Purity Ring), who have moved on to increasing stardom in the past year. This is a thumping, high-energy electro pop song that is just off-kilter enough to feel a bit weird, though it's the kind of strangeness that you don't need to think too hard about while dancing to it. Frena's vocals are kept front and centre throughout the hurricane of techno beats and synth washes, and he sings with intensity about... I'm not really sure what, lines like 'I don't want to feel my skin unlace its skates' sound like Canadian nonsense rhymes. Why is the track called 'Wrinklecarver'? I haven't the foggiest, but such things really don't matter once you press play and start bobbing your head to it.

Peter Wolf Crier - Beach 7.9/10

Peter Wolf Crier are Peter Pisano and Brian Moen, a lo-fi indie rock band from Minneapolis, USA. This track is taken from their second album Garden of Arms released by Jagjaguwar in 2011. The percussion used on this track is memorable since the constant background rhythm sounds like rain pelting against a windowpane. The song really kicks into high gear at 1:53 when a squall of electric guitar noise moves in and takes over, leading to a satisfyingly noisy conclusion. Pisano's thin voice is high and wavers at times, while his cryptic lyrics suggest he is asking to reconnect with someone. The sound of Garden of Arms is considerably more developed and polished compared to the simple folk rock tunes on their debut Inter-Be. The bigger and fuller sound doesn't always lead to improved results on Garden of Arms, however Beach is by far the standout track from both the album and from the band.