Passage

brooklyn, ny's exitmusic - comprised of devon church and aleksa palladino - release their debut album, 'passage,' on secretly canadian. 'passage' is a collection of newly-written songs and some of their older tunes that received some new coats of paint. here, the two tethers that make up exitmusic's sound - one stirring atmospherics, one of grandioise and thoughtful pop - are let to bow further out than before. they are, however, also pulled into a tighter, sharper knot at the center. there are big, emotional dynamic shifts, and a wave-crashing momentum across the set without ever breaking a sustained feeling of tenderness. it's dream-pop for those of us whose dream lives are lawrence of arabia-epic in scope: lulling, apocalyptic, celestial, triumphant.