Penny Sparkle

If you happen to be a music coordinator for Banana Republic, Penny Sparkle is an early Christmas gift. For everyone else, you're left to wonder whether 2010 will produce a more profoundly boring album from a band who actually had a reputation to uphold.

The result is an album that, despite the lushness and mystery of its individual tracks, quickly trails off into monotony.

While not as immediate as either of the two records that came before it, Penny Sparkle still manages to both enlighten and engage in equal measures, yet also retain an air of mystery about it that flourishes with every listen.

Penny Sparkle is so laid back that it's almost lackadaisical. Hardly surpassing the tempo of a comatose patient's heartbeat, it floats along upon a cloud of minimalism and tranquillity.