The Blessed Isles

A Brooklyn-rooted dream pop duo, the Blessed Isles craft expansive soundscapes built on shimmering guitar textures and propulsive drum-machine pulses that echo the Cocteau Twins and Slowdive while also capturing the brisk, insistent drive found in certain Cure and New Order recordings. What began as a solo endeavor by Aaron Closson, the frontman of Dallas alternative-rock outfit the Hourly Radio, evolved into a two-piece once Nolan Thies, formerly of the Dallas band Little Black Dress, joined the project. In 2011 the pair issued a digital EP called Caroline, only to withdraw it from digital storefronts shortly after inking a deal with Saint Marie Records. While preparing their first proper album, the Blessed Isles placed songs on the label’s Static Waves compilation series, a period that also coincided with Closson’s completion of graduate work at Yale. Their debut LP, Straining Hard Against the Strength of Night, reached listeners in April 2016.