With their stunning full-length debut, Mahogany have created an album of rare beauty. Awash in a sea of textured guitars, bubbling samples, soaring synths, and plaintive cellos, the 12 songs on The Dream of a Modern Day range from the majestic "Soleil Radieux" to the melancholy "Red Marrow, His Sorrow." Sure, "atmospheric" and "ethereal" get thrown around in describing a lot of music, but those terms apply to Mahogany in the best possible way, with their sound recalling bands such as Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine while also hinting at classical and experimental influences. Like the geometric artwork of founding member Andrew Prinz, Mahogany's music is meticulously rendered but never overly calculated. And it's not surprising that the band opened up for Broadcast last fall; the two groups are like-minded in their mix of organic and synthetic sounds, but whereas the latter emanate a chilly front, Mahogany radiate warmth.

In addition to Prinz on guitar, melodica, cello, synth, sequencer, and vocals, Dream was recorded with vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Allysa Massais, synth player Marissa Von Wohl, and percussionist Jesse Rafferty. Since the time of the album's recording in 1998, Mahogany have moved their base from Michigan to Brooklyn, and the lineup has changed to consist of Prinz, programmer/percussionist Bobby Pietrusko (Scopic, Object-Oriented), vocalist/guitarist Lorraine Lelis (Marzipan, the Somnambulants), and new guitarist Jason Kolb (Auburn Lull).

The Dream of a Modern Day is currently available on CD at www.simdisc.com and various record stores, including Other Music in Manhattan. For turntable traditionalists, the album is also available in a limited, 220-gram audiophile vinyl version, complete with a custom die-cut sleeve.

--Eric Schneider