Ever since Ben Curtis took a break from Secret Machines to make the lovely shoegaze wash of '08s Alpinisms with sisters Claudia and Alejandra Dehaza, a legion of fans have been anticipating the followup, and Disconnect From Desire knocks it out of the park! Bursting with glorious dance-pop and shameless hooks from track one, this is a wildly ebullient album that refines the gauzy shoegaze haze of Alpinisms and marries it to the rush of energetic, catchy tunes. The results evoke late-'80s new wave and goth-lite like Strawberry Swtichblade, Lush, the Cocteau Twins, and Siouxsie in her bubblier moments, as well as '90s dream-pop like Stereolab, Ladytron, and My Bloody Valentine. Though there's an element of nostalgia, School of Seven Bells definitely carve out their own assertive, crystalline sound and add elements of mysticism and Eastern influences, making this album a lovely leap into something new.