Someone for Everyone

Album Review

The charming, sometimes sullen dream pop on the Capsules' second album, Someone for Everyone, is hazy and sprawling, an expanse of shoegaze melodies built around Julie Shields' sweet vocals. The husband-and-wife team of Julie and Jason Shields, along with drummer Kevin Trevino, have been crafting thick, ascending, wall-of-sound rock tunes since their inception as Shallow. Like fellow slowcore masters Low, their songs are slow, smartly structured, and emotional. But the Capsules lack the druggy psychedelia of innovators like My Bloody Valentine and Ride, trading it for a wholesome pop mood. There's neither the spiky neo-cortex-burning riffs of Loveless nor the sunburned country of grown-up former second-wave shoegazers like Neil Halstead. Still, the Capsules are quite accomplished and inspiring songwriters; they're just a little more in the vein of ethereal and soaring groups like Eisley than their stoned and daring forebears.