Mojave 3

Mojave 3 is made up of shoegazing trumpeters Neil Halstead (on vocals and guitar), Rachel Goswell (vocals and bass) and Ian McCutcheon (drums). Formerly known as the entrancing ambient-pop dream outfit Slowdive, the British mates dropped the dive-y moniker in favor of Mojave 3 when their music picked up pace and evolved into a more upbeat indie sound (though the group's songwriting retains a head-in-the-clouds quality). Puzzles Like You, the band's fifth release, which also includes guitarist Simon Rowe and keyboardist Alan Forrester, steps in line with the atmospheric trance of Minnesota-based Low while also conjuring the catchy keys-and-snare beats of groups such as the Shins or even Polyphonic Spree. Breaking from the Slowdive tradition of lengthy, overindulgent songs, most of Mojave 3's work clocks in short and sweet at around four minutes. It's hard to say if the upward mobility from distorted ambience to quick and easy pop produced the most desirable outcome. But, hey, you can't be a bummer all the time.