Seraphina Lotkhamnga on July 11th, 2011

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Last time we heard from the Santa Barbara quintet, Gardens & Villa were just making a splash in our music libraries with two new-wave funk-influenced pop gems available on their Bandcamp page. Since then, they’ve signed to Secretly Canadian and precociously released their self-titled debut last week to fuel momentum. Boasting 12 tantalizing tracks that have that signature Richard Swift touch, the record is a fluid yet stimulating listen via hazy pop choruses flourishing within layers of synth-heavy melodies and falsettos. Their latest single, “Star Fire Power” favors a heavy bass line over a flute interlude this time around, but nonetheless sparkles with crisp clarity.

||| Download: “Star Fire Power”

||| Also: “Black Hills” (previously posted)

||| Live : Gardens & Villa plays an in-store at 7 tonight at Origami Vinyl and Thursday at the Echo with Generationals and Cassettes Won’t Listen.

Photo by Cara Robbins