The Botticellis take as many cues from '60s surfer pop as from 21st century art rock. The San Francisco quintet's music is radiant and lushly orchestrated. Guitars shimmer with ringing flourishes. The glowing harmonies and melodies are timeless. But the songs are as wistful as they are celebratory. Sun dappled afternoons aren't without their shadows, and singer Blythe Foster's lyrics are, at times, foreboding, all of which keeps an otherwise precious album from veering too far into mawkish romance.
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