GASTR DEL SOL - Camoufleur (LP)

Individually and collectively, Gastr have broken down the fourth wall in music that was invisible and we previously didn't know was there. A gorgeous pop album is likely the last thing anyone expected from these sonic explorers, but that's exactly what "Camoufleur" is. The album marks the end of the creative collaboration between David Grubbs and Jim O'Rourke, and it's a pity -- their music has never been so richly beautiful. The drones, austere lyricism, unconventional song forms and odd noises remain a part of the vocabulary, but they have been blended with melodies and orchestrations that suggest an avant-garde Van Dyke Parks.