Echoing the sounds of bands like Galaxie 500 and Codeine, Perth, Australia's Bluetile Lounge crafts an expansive, sublime style that marks out giant landscapes in the mind. Formed in 1991, the group perfected their music for two years before playing live. Both their debut album, lowercase, released in 1995 on the Summershine label and distributed in the U.S. by SubPop, and their follow-up, Half-Cut (1998, Smells Like Records), show off their high standards by unfolding shimmering walls-of-sound while remaining clean and precise. ~ Stacia Proefrock