ii Landlakes

• Words: Taryn Harrington
• Label: Feral
• XLR8R Rating: /10

With its largely improvised debut Landlakes, Melbourne duo ii (or eye, eye) gracefully balances on a tight rope that splits genres. Alex Nosek and Jon Tjhia create abstract instrumental pop by layering the synthetic beat of Boards of Canada with Grizzly Bear's dreamlike depth. The album is purely organic, and brings some tangible energy to an often-stagnant indie rock genre. “We Ate Everything” begins with a cluster of drum beats and drones, and quickly sorts itself out with the smooth and airy “Oho,” only to come crashing down with the surf rock-esque “Clamshell.” With Landlakes, ii begins the countdown to 2008's year's-best lists.