Foxhole

British proto-psych rockers The Proper Ornaments—the brainchild of Ultimate Painting guitarist James Hoare and Max Oscarnold from Brighton shoegazers Toy—polished the rough edges of the sound from their 2014 debut Wooden Head to a mesmerizing sheen on sophomore release Foxhole. On it, the band has expanded its already heady panorama of spooky pop dirges to feature more piano-led tunes, beginning with the melancholy “Memories,” with minor-key melodies driving through descending progressions, inviting eerily engaging musical moments. It’s not all moody sentiment, though; even songs as sinisterly titled as “Cremated (Blown Away)” tap along thanks to Hoare’s peppy, guitar-forward songcraft. The band’s exploration of late-1960s psychedelic wonderlands is also tied to the same kind of harmonic pop purveyed by the likes of Elliott Smith. Lush tracks like the appropriately titled “1969” are enough evidence that the band is mired in a kind of stone-y malaise. Luckily, it’s the kind of pleasantly unobtrusive condition that lends itself to repeated listens.