Kevin Bronson on January 27th, 2014

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Gardens & Villa’s sophomore album “Dunes” occupies much of same space claimed by dozens of contemporary indie artists – the soft-rock ’70s, the new-wave ’80s, the smoove neo-funk that spilled into both decades. “Dunes” (out Feb. 4 via Secretly Canadian), however, is absent the bombast that dates a lot that music; in its place is an intimacy cultivated by spare arrangements and a delicate balance between Chris Lynch’s falsetto and bansari flutes and Adam Rasmussen’s synths. Much of the vibe can be traced to the Santa Barbara quintet – Lynch, Rasmussen, Levi Hayden, Shane McKillop and Dusty Ineman – having gotten out of their element to record the album. “Dunes” was made in Benton Harbor, Mich., situated on the shores of Lake Michigan (hence, the dunes) with producer Tim Goldsworthy (Cut Copy, DFA Records, LCD Soundsystem, Hercules & Love Affair). The single “Colony Glen” is as overtly dancey as the album gets; get your ’80s on.

||| Stream: “Colony Glen”

||| Previously: “Bullet Train”

||| Live: Gardens & Villa perform March 8 at the El Rey Theatre.

Photo by Neil Favila