Veronica Falls - My Heart Beats by Slumberland Records

London's Veronica Falls really turned heads with their brilliant self-titled debut album, released in Fall 2011. A beguiling combination of melody and dissonance, sweetness and darkness, "Veronica Falls" is a brilliantly concise statement of intent from a band that easily made the transition from limited-edition buzz-worthy singles to a fully-realized, beautifully-constructed album that continues to reveal new facets and fresh ideas with each listen. Now, on the heels of a sell-out coast-to-coast US tour, the band is ready to reveal their first new material since the album release.

"My Heart Beats" is packed with all the rhythmic verve and melodic power that we've come to expect from the band, sitting comfortably next to album tunes like "Right Side of My Brain" and "Come On Over." Fierce and immediate, it refines the band's melodic mystery with a new-found clarity. Their trademark vocal harmonies are pushed to the fore, marking this as their most perfectly potent bit of pop tune-smithery yet. On the flip, "Killing Time" is a minimal, dreamy tune enhanced by a mesmerizing organ line and gently thumping drums. Again, the band's lovely harmonies are front-and-center, and it is their keen attention to such details that makes this a great companion to "My Heart Beats" and an exciting signpost towards where the band is heading for their next full-length.