Elika's Snuggle Bunnies

The rather oddly named Elika create a rather odd blend of ethereal and atmospheric sounds that sound something like The Pale Saints lost in a dry ice haze with the Jesus and Mary Chain, Mono and Letters to Cleo. This sometimes sweet, sometimes haunting two piece band create a miasmic cloud of guitars, synths, and lovely vocals that are as spooky as they are enthralling. Their album, Snuggle Bunnies, is a brilliant post shoegazing, dream pop, trip hop album that was a challenge to put together but a joy to listen to.

With themes of fear, love, domesticity, family, illness, and guilt Snuggle Bunnies is anything but cute and cuddly but you would never know this by just listening to it. It's only after spending time with this record and listening to the tales that Elika piece together that you realize this record is as serious as a heart attack despite being ridiculously beautiful. As I've learned, the best records always hide their seriousness with great songs and Snuggle Bunnies is no different.

Singer Evagelia and multi-instrumentalist Brian do a fine job of creating lush dreamy songs that fade in and out of consciousness while dealing with all these serious themes. Snuggle Bunnies is an awesome record because it's lush, introspective and somewhat soothing songs hit home and hit hard. Throw in the fact that they just sound fantastic and add in the fact that Evagelia's voice is amazing and you're left with one heck of a record.

Hopeful, engrossing, and sounding like it's lost in a dream, Snuggle Bunnies is a layered beauty that plays hopscotch with genres and constantly wins. Elika create beautiful music together and the songs that make up Snuggle Bunnies are fantastic. This is dream pop the way it should be...bleary eyed and brilliant.