Far from the Queens, NY, doo-wop group, the Dialtones, a project of former Okkervil River guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo, features a sound not immediately specific. The swirling sonics ring familiar and nostalgic in the mode of what British social critic and intellectual Mark Fisher called hauntology, a study of lost futures and unburied pasts. Freshly shared to Spotify, past dream collages “Eagle Eye City Surveyor” and “Desire” push the avant-garde envelope. Vocalist and saxophonist Sophie Seng, an ideal co-conspirator, blends Fiona Apple-adjacent art pop with swinging jazz rhythms. Her 2023 EP Precipice emphasizes layered honeyed vocals and ruminative songwriting. – Kahron Spearman
