San Francisco-based songwriter Jennifer Marie has the dream-pop angle down pat. Under the name of Spells, she produces majestically hypnotic tracks like “Colors”, which glides over a slight whirring keyboard arpeggio and rhythmic murmurs. Her voice is nonchalant and dreamy, akin to Victoria Legrand, Marissa Nadler, and the like. In the songwriting department, “Colors” takes a subtly effective turn around the 01:45 mark, where the track becomes darker as the melodies segue into lower and more brooding characteristics. The guitar work becomes prominent in the following minute, especially the rockabilly-inspired licks shortly thereafter that would make David Lynch smile. “Fader”, which becomes surprisingly bouncy by the mid-point, is also recommended. Spells is definitely a project that dream-pop fans should keep an eye on.
