Listening to Kindest Lines’ ‘Covered in Dust’ is listening to mysterious indie pop in its prime. The moody hazy 80s vibe never fades, with upfront synths and melodic guitar riffs from the start.

All the tracks are cohesive in their obscure, dream-like universe, which ripples sprightly melodies amidst the intense atmosphere. Brittany Terry is the unflustered and disinterested female vocalist that accentuates the smoothness of the band’s spacey sound.

Tracks such as ‘Destructive Paths to Live Happily’ and ‘Record Party’ stand out as the edgier, dancier songs. They’re undulating yet catchy tunes, which avoid becoming too accessible. The simple electric drum beats present here give contrast to the earlier 60s revival rhythm of the opening track ‘Hazy Haze’, making way for fuzzier layers to intermingle with the sparkly, catchy vibe.

Away from the New Order influenced tunes comes the pensive mid-album respite, as the triplet of songs ‘Dark Dream’, ‘Running into Next Year’ and ‘No Perfect Focus’ tingle Bowlegs’ taste buds. These meditative yet uplifting tracks succeed in balancing the soothing yet weighty melodies while subtle blurs of XX-esque guitar riffs meander in and out of the ever present synthesisers. ‘In Death Not to Part’ holds optimistic irony amidst minor chords, making the track one of the more memorable with its delicately chanted lyrics “My lover, my darling”.

The dark interpretation of a cute yet moody collection of songs that is ‘Covered in Dust’ may lack any shift from the typical 80s indie and electro sound and therefore doesn’t tick the ‘experimental excitement’ box. Yet the wander through this eleven track album is a grand ambling beauty.

-Leora Taratula-Lyons-