Little Miss Echo

Little Miss Echo’s self-title debut sparkles and drifts through psychedelic indie dream pop compositions, recalling the golden era of rock experimentation while incorporating contemporary sounds to arrive at something timeless, yet perfectly suited to the moment. These recordings were made over the past five years; as such, there’s an arc to the track list: these eleven songs evolve, explore new modes, and push toward new highs as the album progresses. 

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Despite an easy and inviting style, Little Miss Echo are clearly intentional about the sounds, rhythms, melodies, and progressions they use. Each hook is unexpected and unique, each juxtaposed sound somehow surprising. Reverb drenched guitars and vocals nestle comfortably in with rhythmic synths and drum loops. Subtle melodic flourishes swirl with beach-themed samples and phaser-laden soundscapes. The recording is charmingly lo-fi yet clear and sophisticated, with not a sound out of place or overwhelmed by another. 

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Opener “Optigan” is a four-and-a-half-minute master class in melody, subtle dynamics, and layering elements to create a propulsive mood. Less ambitious bands might feel satisfied with such a winning formula, but Little Miss Echo venture into new territory with every track, carried forward by their own comfortable currents. Their music conjures beach vibes both in the Brian Wilson falsettos as well as what often sound like samples of waves crashing and gull caws. This might seem like overproduction or trying too hard, but in this case the result is a soundtrack for happy relaxation, as though the music was conjured by the sand beneath your feet. Even when they push the style outside of this easygoing mode, as in the jittery “Space Age Friends,” the synth pop of “My Atom’s Selling,” or the washed out dream pop of “Your Idle Mind,” there’s an ease to the delivery that suggests extreme comfort.

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With such mastery over mood, tone, and performance, it’s a bit of a surprise to see what a collaborative effort is behind this collection of songs. Five individuals had their hands in playing, mixing, and mastering Little Miss Echo. The ability to collaborate toward a cohesive, successful whole is a rare thing. It’s rarer still to capture that magic over a period of years and combine the recordings into such a consistently enjoyable record.

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