PELLUMAIR SUMMER STORM Tug Boat

In an effort to explain the break-up of Pellumair just weeks before the release of their debut album, Jaymie Caplen, one-half of the minimalist Southampton duo, told the British press that the band had been "kind of an accident to begin with" — a very happy accident, indeed. With Caplen handling vocals and sticking to acoustic guitar and Tom Stanton adding his own vocals and electric guitar, the drumless Pellumair mix swirling shoegazer guitar squalls into what might otherwise be just another stab at standard ’60s neo-folk. Only 37 seconds into the opener, "Side for This," Stanton delivers his first blow, as simple pluckings and breezy vocals give way to a Kevin Shields–like wall of guitars. It sets the tone for the rest of Summer Storm, as the duo deftly walk the line between lapping acoustic waves and churning electric deluge. "Silk As Her Era" is a gorgeous marriage of Ride-like roil and heavenly chiming guitar hooks. Even straight-up ballads like the title track offer compelling twists and turns, along with cutting lyrics: "If I ever had to choose between being with you and sunshine/I’m thinking I could get used to breakfast in bed in the dark." It’s a shame Summer Storm is both Pellumair’s promising debut and their swan song — not to mention that it will likely remain a pricy import for years to come.