Brooklyn-based Snowmine (@snowminemusic) offers up a strong debut in their new record Laminate Pet Animal, an LP released on Deerhaus earlier this month.  The lush instrumentation recalls Funeral-era Arcade Fire, and at times singer Grayson Sanders’ Croon is reminiscent of Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig.  The combination is compelling.

“Pieces of your Pie” is a particularly strong track off the album, evolving from a sparse and lurking intro into the eruption of an infectious chorus, “All we need to do is figure out something we can live for.” “Beast in Air, Beast in Water” follows a similar pattern by again growing from a sparse beat, echo-laden guitar, and dark production into a rich array of instrumentation that seeps into the chorus.  Later, the song also incorporates a roaring string section right before turning into a driving disco and fading into an orchestral outro.

Though the rich and atmospheric instrumentation of Laminate Pet Animal is one of Snowmine’s greatest strengths, it also has a tendency to soften and blur the many strong melodies throughout the record.  The music sounds best and most confident when the instrumental focus is on a singular melody such as with “Let Me In.” The song begins with a simple picked guitar line then is doubled by bells eliciting a fragile and vulnerable sonic space.  It’s simple and straightforward, displaying a more focused and committed sound.

Snowmine’s Laminate Pet Animal is a fabulous record and one likely to please fans of fellow Brooklynites Grizzly Bear.  The band shows they have good taste and know how to play, so expect to hear about them much more often in the future.