Altered Zones

By Gorilla vs. Bear

MP3: Peaking Lights: "Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)"

MP3: Peaking Lights: "Hey Sparrow"

With temperatures rising fast here in our part of the world, we find ourselves getting increasingly lost in 936, the entrancing new full-length from Madison, WI "post-reggae" duo Peaking Lights. Their label -- esteemed L.A. imprint Not Not Fun, here with their best and most accessible release in ages -- is calling it "groove-wave," but married couple Indra Dunis and Aaron Coyes have crafted what is essentially a minor dream-psych masterpiece that plays like a perfect melding of King Tubby, Sun Araw, and Young Marble Giants.

Achingly beautiful melodies float over immersive and occasionally seedy dubbed-out grooves; beats rise out of a hazed jungle underworld, at times sounding like primitive machines. And the effect is nothing short of transcendent. 936 is a refreshingly original and somewhat unexpected blend of classic dub and acid-soaked, female-fronted psychedelia that emerged seemingly out of nowhere to become one of the year's most compelling and replayable jams. It's safe to assume it will only sound even better in the sweltering summer months. Best new music, without question.