Seattle-based Briana Marela’s debut album was produced by the Sigur Rós- and Jónsi-affiliated Alex Somers in Iceland. The influence of both Somers and the otherworldly Scandinavian landscape is clear: All Around Us’s lush pop is often sweeping and grand, and has a sonic infiniteness even on shorter tunes. Marela’s ethereal, wispy vocals and Somers’s adept production give it its grandeur.
It takes some time to dig into, though. Opener Follow It’s bare vocal loops set things up nicely but aren’t especially attention-grabbing. Friend Tonight’s catchy chorus and vulnerable lyrics – “Don’t come back to my bed tonight / I just need a friend tonight” – build to a slow, sparkling crescendo. Percussive highlight Surrender swells and retracts like a top 40 hit masked in so much reverb you can barely make it out.
The songs grow overly long at the end (the title track is a bit of a bore), though the album is consistently beautiful, if not always ear-catching.
Top track: Surrender
Briana Marela plays the Drake Hotel on September 4.
