I’m a strong proponent of listening to music that’s mood appropriate.  On a bleak October day, I found the perfect album that legitimizes the blues without necessarily perpetuating them.  Alpinisms, the debut full-length from School of Seven Bells, certainly feels introspective.  With an ever-present electronic drone and echoing vocals, Alpinisms is reminiscent of faux '80s shoegaze, but it sounds considerably more mature.  If M83 grew up, got jobs, and got normal haircuts, this is what they would sound like.  Alpinisms is perfect for the closeted shoegazer, because even though it’s layered with fuzzy guitars and delicate, even eerie, vocals, each track is driven along with a danceable drum machine beat.  While appropriate for slumped shoulders and a pensive mood, Alpinisms can still easily pass as the soundtrack to a low-key party.  Strongest on the album’s opening tracks, “I Am Under No Disguise” and “Face to Face on High Places,” School of Seven Bells has made a great debut that will raise your spirits on a bleak autumn afternoon.

School of Seven Bells will be at Neumos on November 25th.