@ Mind Palace

It might be unhelpful to describe Mind Palace, the debut LP by folk-pop duo @, as a functioning contradiction. But alas, Victoria Rose and Stone Filipczak find balance and harmony in their fragmented arrangements—trapping bits of loving melodies before they dance away like fluttering butterflies. That might seem like a peculiar way to describe their music, but it does begin to make more sense once you get lost in their luminous neo-psychedelia. Though most tracks share an acoustic backbone, the duo elegantly transitions between flute-driven pastoral folk (Boxwood Lane) and campfire strumming (Friendship is Frequency) without a moment's notice. Even if the songs are minimal in their approach, the range found throughout is staggering, each combined with endearingly offbeat vocals. As a result, the duo creates a whimsical musical energy that's smartly crafted but never too self-serious.