Almost eight years have passed since I first received a demo tape from an old, old friend. I still have it floating around somewhere in my studio, an analog TDK cassette loaded with early 4-track recordings from what was to become my favorite American pop group, le Mood. The tunes were catchy, they were lighthearted, they were infectious. And I was hooked.

A lot has happened since those first promising tracks arrived in my mailbox. Tours, records, and year after year of almost nonstop gigging at home have anchored le Mood at the forefront of a secret New York indie pop renaissance. The group continues to produce painstakingly crafted pop gems, but the songs have taken on greater depth and musical dexterity with each subsequent release. The seraphic tones of three part harmonies have become haunted by a carefully crafted specter of melancholy and longing. The giddy joy of success and anticipation is imbued with nostalgia on a cold winter's night, a dream-like memory of long summer days on the endless beaches of their native Florida. Its this interplay of youthful exhilaration and sullen lover's lament that allows Adventures in Stereo to transcend the confines of a traditional power pop record.

In an age where the digital download has killed the concept album, le Mood has crafted Adventures in Stereo with a different approach. This is not a concept record; its a moment record. A feeling record. A mood record. A soundtrack to a flashback of a sunset bonfire on Fort Lauderdale beach. A record that oozes pop perfection, upbeat and urgent, psychedelic and insightful, capable of finding warm moments in even the bitterest cold of winter.

So go ahead and drop the needle. Get up and dance. Reminisce about the good times you've had. You're about to have some more.

Rev. Travis Woods