Dreamy popsters (from left) Mike Niemiec, Dave Zakos, Alyssa Niemiec and Zach Guyette.
For a band that formed out of a breakup and scouted a member through Craigslist, it’s incredible what Skyline Sounds has accomplished since early 2015.
That same year, well before winter arrived to crystallize Madison’s streets, the group released a debut album Color, along with a collection of demos and B-sides. The record was an ambitious mix of clever compositions fronted by bassist/vocalist Alyssa Niemiec and her twisting lyrical melodies.
Skyline Sounds’ sophomore effort expands from that foundation. Glances is grander, yet it shows more restraint. And it’s glossier than Color, which has rough edges. The album is self-recorded and mixed, but mastered by Middleton’s Lucky Lacquers.
The album launches with “Dimensions.” A rising wave of cymbals buoys a synth lead and fuzzed-out guitar while Niemiec declares her frustration.
“We better hope it’s not a sign,” she sings. “If this is the New Year, go back in time.”
“Dimensions” then does an about-face, delivering an upbeat bass tag before diving into a pop groove that would make Kay Hanley (Letters to Cleo) proud. Much of Glances has surprises like this tucked in — melodies and styles bumping into each other in unexpected ways.
“In the Middle” (placed with a wink halfway through the album) careens between a rollicking guitar lead and a reverb-drenched ballad, sleepwalking through the confusion of a struggling relationship.
“You’re not alright and I still need you by my side,” Niemiec sings. “I’m dreaming into you; we don’t have to stay in view.”
Themes of confusion and existential malaise are layered through Glances. The album is full of questions, but each search for a solution is fleeting. In “Ending and Starting,” Niemiec sings: “My eyes are open, they’re still fixed on you/it’s a shame they don’t hear the sound like we do.”
Glances’ missteps are relatively minor. Two instrumental interlude tracks — “Alongside” and “Standing Waves” — are pleasant, but unrelated to the larger whole and ultimately feel like padding. Similarly, “Is It In Me,” while not technically instrumental, has a good beat but its inclusion is a head-scratcher.
For the most part, Glances is an excellent pop record. “Perspective” and “Time Staggers On” are tightly woven, and drummer Dave Zakos’ pocket work under the melodies of guitarists Mike Niemiec and Zach Guyette is upbeat and solid. While the dark, dreamy melodies and unexpected vocal turns recall mid-aughts indie acts Eisley and Nightmare of You, Skyline Sounds’ achievement here is impressive: They sound more like themselves than anyone else.
Skyline Sounds plays the High Noon Saloon on August 8 at 8:30 p.m.