I buy a lot of music, and "Memory is a Hallway" is easily the best album I've bought in the past year. It is delicate, soaring, dazzling, and toe tap inducing from beginning to end. The lyrics are intelligent and bursting with vivid imagery. Aviary Ghost should be a household name to anyone who loves great American indy music.

There are times that self-releasing an album can be the best option for a band, especially given the many instances of hot-air blowing by music industry personnel — and it’s not just major labels that have been known to play the game in miscreant ways. Sometimes, though, artists just don’t want to deal with the hassle of marketing their release, preferring to just put the music out for public consumption. Aviary Ghost certainly hasn’t self-released their music out of a lack of quality: Memory is a Hallway, from start to finish, is a bold, passionate release demonstrating the band’s penchant for engineering emotionally descriptive soundscapes, crisp vocals sometimes leading the musical path, other times remaining out of the picture to let some skillful instrumentation take hold. Apparently influenced by a wide range of musical styles, including 1960s American pop and post-rock, Aviary Ghost have crafted a release that’s rarely anything less than a joy to hear, to absorb: Memory is a Hallway, which apparently took a good three years before being ready, is a carefully crafted amalgam of upbeat piano, neatly harmonious vocals, dense guitars, organs, mandolins, and a slew of other layers of instrumentation. Memory is a Hallway is a strong pop album recorded by a band unafraid to break free of the constraints of genre music, providing a strong sound; though lulling listeners into a relaxed groove, this debut hardly sits still for a moment. Aviary Ghost, who claim to be recording more music, aren’t to be missed: Their album-proven pedigree is strong enough that whatever comes next should be undeniably excellent.

Aviary Ghost, Memory Is A Hallway Aviary Ghost is a band that seemed to pop out of nowhere fully formed. With little fanfare, it has managed to get a spot of Live From Bloomington, get its CD in hands of local label types and a develop live performance that is surprisingly tight for a band so new to the scene. Its debut release, “Memory Is A Hallway,” is a throwback to the plaintive pop of XTC and The Smiths. The songs are lush and complex, using a perfect harmony of keys, acoustics, and the occasional electric outburst to make songs that are sublimely endearing. “Numbers Aren’t Right” beautifully drifts along before erupting into a glorious coda of guitarmonies and time signature jumps. It is a recurring motif throughout to let the songs devolve into moments of welcome experimental oddity, with clock chimes and vocal loops just some of the wondrous deviations the band takes from its pop foundations. “Nature Sounds” breaks in the end for a maudlin bit of Broadway-style piano crying. Tying it all together is Charlie Crimando’s faux British vocals, which float nicely over each song. While generally adopted accents are cause for derision, the aplomb with which he pulls it off is admirable. At times a little too Morrissey for my tastes, Crimando’s shift from lovelorn balladeer to joyful indie-pop boaster is masterly. A nice first step for a band out of the blue. Patented “The Source” biting scale: 5 mics / 5 mics