Mahogany: Connectivity! (Darla)
release: October 30, 2006
styles: Ethereal Ambient Pop
similar: Pale Saints, Lush, early Sigur Ros, Flowchart, Serena Maneesh
rating: ****

That exclamation point at the end of the title to Mahogany's long, LONG, awaited follow-up to its debut deserves to be there. Although Memory Column, a compilation of EPs and singles, held many of us over for a little while, it is Connectivity! that is a pleasure to finally experience as well as to compare to My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, if only for taking so long to record. There hasn't been any earth-shattering changes in Mahogany's sound, which is just fine. All the familiar elements are here: delicate male-female vocals, twinkly guitar and synth-electro percussion. What's most welcoming, however, is a slight departure into a frolicking, almost folk-electro-rock piece that could be Belle & Sebastian backed by, um, Mahogany. La la love it. A second disc includes three remixes (one with Robin Guthrie!) and three videos. Goody. -Kenyon