Review: Gardens & Villa – Music For Dogs

Gardens & Villa
Music For Dogs

Secretly Canadian
Street: 08.21
Gardens & Villa = Phantogram x MGMT

Gardens & Villa’s third album, Music For Dogs, was recorded in an L.A. warehouse, and the city’s freakish nature is immediately present on the album’s opening cut, “Maximize Results.” Gardens have always reflected the ’80s in their brand of varied synthpop, but Music For Dogs reflects a darker period of the decade. It’s a blend of post-punk and new wave that embodies Brian Eno’s art-pop influence. “General Research” features Garden’s trademark flutes as they play background to jagged guitar riffs, pounding drums and glitchy synths, while vocalist Chris Lynch confesses, “We’ll find a way to separate the diamonds, breaking the mold.” And that’s what Music For Dogs is: general research, and experimentation, as a respected band transforms and realizes the music they truly want to make. (Urban, 10.07) –Justin Gallegos