UK-based Italian duo Lilies On Mars have been pretty eclectic with their music, starting with the noisy art pop of their 2008 self-titled release, punk-pop of the 2011 Wish You Were A Pony, psychedelia of 2014’s Dot To Dot, and electropop of 2015’s Ago, all possessing DIY amateurishness to some extent.

Italian composer Stefano Guzzetti scores films and crafts gentle, evocative piano and string pieces with titles like “Clouds,” “Grace,” and “Float,” that are, at best, great for those tender moments of reflection, like while looking at old family photos.

So, what happens when this scorer of films teams up with the said duo? They make early nineties-era dream pop music of course!

A blind test would have you convinced that Shine was released alongside Insides’ Euphoria or Cranes’ Forever, especially with its drum machines, dewy guitars, deep bass, and a general Goth sound. There is nothing new to discover here, but if you are into this sort of music, you’ll definitely find plenty to appreciate in the record’s melancholic beauty.

Shine sounds nothing like its parts. In fact, it “shines” the spotlight on Guzzetti, who would have otherwise gone largely unnoticed, given the nature of his music. The ethereal atmosphere he has created here is nothing like he has done before. But much like the role film scores play in a movie, his contribution adds a lot of subtle beauty that is so essential to the main subject, which is the performance by Lilies On Mars.

For Lilies On Mars, Shine is not the most interesting thing they have ever done. However, this is their most polished and consistent album; hence it is nearly impossible not to rank it above any of their own work.

Ultimately, Shine is a collaboration between two sets of artists coming from musical worlds that are polar opposites and bringing out not only the best in each other, but also facets that each one has never brought out on their own. This union between the two does seem somewhat disastrous on paper, but the result—while not spectacular—is far from a disaster.

Rating: B-

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