Rippled Glass

Just when you think you’ve had your fill of smooth pop, one more project sneaks up and charms you. Ritual Talk’s Rippled Glass is just an EP, so it won’t take too much time. The Brooklyn five-piece has made a modest debut, composed of smooth harmonies with mix-and-match vocals by all five members. There’s something very similar to early Dirty Projectors with these vocal tones, but where Dirty Projectors took more challenging sonic shifts, Ritual Talk occupies more of a 1980s easy-listening space, with a few psychedelic moments. On “Rippled Glass,” the tension builds subtly, strings whipping into a frenzy that never quite explodes, instead just cutting out to make room for a tasteful guitar outro. All around, the tones have a caramel sweetness, and even on the loud closer “Dancing Still,” the sounds don’t venture too far. The vocal interplay is really what makes the album stand apart.