Shama – “pelagia”

This isn't merely breezy indie pop. There's an older rhythmic vocabulary underneath it, but the presentation never feels retro-costumed. “pelagia” is the first look at Shama’s forthcoming second album, and the married couple of Basia Tomaszewska on vocals and bass and Jimi Bachniak on guitar and production sound interested in the past without asking us to move there. Groove and Motown are in the family tree, but “pelagia” gets to grow up in 2026.

Basia once described the pair as being like lobsters or swans. When they find someone good, they hang on. They've been making music together since they were teenagers, so the evidence is becoming difficult to dispute. “pelagia” carries that kind of shorthand. Nobody is trying to convince us these two have chemistry. They've had years to stop noticing where one person's musical sentence ends and the other's begins.

I have no idea when you’ll actually be reading this. Our backlog remains its own developing nation. What I do know is “pelagia” was an easy add near the top of Condensed the week it arrived, then managed to score a second invitation to Dinner Party. Good guests are hard to find. This one knew exactly what to bring.