Bob Marley and The Stranglers

My only complaint about "Hey Sparrow" from Peaking Lights is that it's too damn short. There's nothing more disappointing than hearing a song, deciding you like it a couple of minutes in, and then seeing that there's only another minute or so left before it's over. It's the musical equivalent of pouring yourself a heaping bowl of delicious cereal only to lift the milk carton and discover - gasp - it's too light! With its entrancingly subtle dub rhythms, delicate keys, and "groove-wave" guitar, "Hey Sparrow" puts the jam on your breakfast toast and will leave you wanting seconds.

Peaking Lights - Hey Sparrow

After considerable thought, I can best describe this track as Bob Marley's "Natural Mystic" crossed with "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers. In my musical world, that is a serious compliment. Peaking Lights have been called "post-reggae," and other tracks on their new record 936 do indeed show a heavy dubstep influence. Combining an uncanny number of instrumental tracks for a two-person outfit, they spin a multilayered musical web that sneaks up on the listener and, before you know it, ensnares you utterly. 

I got tipped off to this excellent record by a pretty glowing review on Altered Zones; they have a couple of other tracks from 936 up on their site as well. Leave it to a married couple from Wisconsin, recording out of Los Angeles, to put together the first great record of spring 2011 (morning temperature in Cambridge today: 26 degrees). With superior instrumentation and some beautiful vocals, Peaking Lights are warming things up for all of us with a sound that defies easy classification, but definitely deserves to be in the rotation this spring training.