Secret Shine - There Is Only Now (2017)

2017 release from the twee legends originally signed to the Sarah Records label. It's always the people in between, the ones who straddle genres, that make the most exciting music. So even as Secret Shine-in their guitars, in their harmonies-echo the sound we call shoegaze, the drift we call dreampop. They bring a level of pop smarts to their music that few of their sonic contemporaries can touch. On the strength of last year's reissue of Untouched comes Secret Shine's album There Is Only Now-on Saint Marie Records, the most vital dreampop label in the world today. It's obvious Secret Shine grew up in love with pop, in love with ABBA, in love with the Smiths. But oh what a sound they make.