Paracosm
Ernest Greene's second album opens with the very un-synthetic sound of birds chirping. Heavy-handed point made: The chillwave pioneer has woken up and gone organic on Paracosm, trading the sexy wooze-outs of his 2011 debut for slightly brighter, more pastoral vibes. Greene's meticulous creations are still slow-rolling and thickly layered, but this time he and returning Animal Collective producer Ben Allen slather on less futuristic sounds: Mellotron, bongos, children laughing. Harplike arpeggios herald the beginning of the title track like the launch of a Technicolor reverie, but the nine-song LP's dreamiest tune is "All I Know," a nostalgic stunner that glows like a jar of fireflies.