Quilt
Plaza
Mexican Summer
Singer-guitarists Anna Fox Rochinski and Shane Butler, who contribute the lion’s share of the material on Quilt’s arresting third album (with solid drummer John Andrews filling out the lineup) are clearly talented writers, but the sheer gorgeous sound of the band is so intoxicating that it almost doesn’t matter. Like its predecessor, the engrossing Held in Splendor, Plaza offers a dreamy mind excursion, mixing soothing male-female vocal harmonies with swirling folk-rock guitars and strings for a potent escapist cocktail. Evoking the late-’60s, when soft pop and loopy psychedelia intersected to delicious effect, mesmerizing tracks like “O’Connor’s Barn” and “Eliot St.” make a twee first impression before the luscious melodies kick in, and you’re hooked. If Plaza sometimes feels like a decadent indulgence, so be it!
