Chad Valley

Add Date: June 28 

Artist: Chad Valley 

Album: Equatorial Ultravox (EP) 

Label: Cascine 

Genre: Electropop, dream pop 

Comments: Throw out your stereotypical notions of what Brit pop sounds like before you listen to Equatorial Ultravox, the new mini-album from Oxford musician Hugo Manuel's Chad Valley project. This is hazy, sun-drenched synth pop that brings to mind the Balearic sounds of The Tough Alliance and Delorean or the chillwave/electronica of Washed Out and Twin Shadow. This might not be what you'd expect to come out of the UK, but hey--not every Briton feels the need to emulate Ian Curtis or Steven Patrick Morrissey.

Start with "Now That I'm Real (How Does It Feel?)", featuring vocals from another Oxford musician, Rose Dagul, and also spin "Shell Suite" and "Shapeless".