Long before the term “twee” lost its subcultural cachet and Zooey Deschanel had her own sitcom on Fox, Lupe Núñez-Fernández was helping reshape the twee aesthetic as half of the shamefully overlooked indie-pop act Pipas. Alongside Londoner Mark Powell, the native Spaniard Fernández whipped up songs in fleeting bursts which were precious (though never cloyingly so). Pipas built a modest yet exceptionally ardent fan base by taking a relaxed approach to their performances–one I caught a decade ago was dappled with apologies for missed chords or botched lyrics–but they always somehow managed to make it work.

Now Fernández has struck up another collaboration with a different Englishman. This time around, it’s Alasdair MacLean from another longtime favorite (and previously spotlighted) act, The Clientele. The new duo has united under the sobriquet of Amor de Días and the results illustrate just how well-suited the pair are for one another’s musical leanings. Separately, both of the members’ other projects have had distinct musical arcs: Pipas’ output progressively moved away from their lo-fi bedsit pop origins toward faster paced songs propelled by drum machine beats, while The Clientele ditched some of their delicate vaporousness in favor of more enterprising arrangements.

In many respects, “Bunhill Fields” is the apotheosis of these two musical arcs intersecting. The third track from the band’s new Merge Records debut, The Street of the Love of Days, begins with a hushed, hollow programmed beat that casually bulks up as the song moves forward. Acoustic guitar and Fernández’s vocals are the next instruments to enter the mix; they do so simultaneously and with similarly whispered notes.

Once the chorus drops, Amor de Días presses hard on the gas. The trumpet bursts and undulating strings of The Clientele’s recent efforts are ushered in and the song suddenly becomes as robust as its early moments were austere. It is impressive to have such contrasts contained within such a brief song, and even if Amor de Días is a partnership that sounds exactly like you might imagine it will, that is positively not ashame. On “Bunhill Fields,” Fernández and MacLean provide indie-pop listeners with a lot to love.

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Sambassadeur “Days”

Efterklang “Modern Drift”

Codeine Velvet Club “Hollywood”

Chemistry is an unpredictable and tricky thing. For example, Fleetwood Mac had labored for years as a respected but ultimately mid-level British blues band. Then they drafted the obscure California duo of Buckingham-Nicks to shake things up and the proverbial lightning struck. Fleetwood Mac suddenly became the biggest band in the world and defined mainstream rock music in the mid-1970s, as five distinct individuals transformed into a much greater whole.

The same mysterious alchemy may possibly be occurring now with the band Early Winters.

British singer-songwriter Carina Round dropped her sophomore album in 2003 to modest acclaim but has never quite managed to make a name for herself. Toronto’s Justin Rutledge is a Juno-nominated artist at home, but outside of Canada any notice he’s received has mostly been as “the Canadian Ryan Adams.” When this pair of hardworking but obscure musicians teamed up with Los Angeles musician/producer Dan Burns and bassist Zac Rae to drum up tv soundtrack work, they found that the chemistry between the four of them was strong enough to make the enterprise a going concern.

Despite the fact that their solo careers required them to be physically present in different parts of the world, they formed Early Winters. Collaborating via Skype, the quartet recorded their eponymous debut EP, from which “Spanish Burn” is taken.

Considering that none of its creators were in the same room when it was created, “Spanish Burn” boasts a remarkably intimate and collaborative ambience as every player seems to always be in the exact right spot at the right time. The song’s easygoing, ornate country-rock vibe definitely recalls Fleetwood Mac in their prime.

Round turns in one of the sweetest and most seductive vocal performances of her career, cooing “I would do anything to be a deleted scene / In a dirty movie only you have seen.” Rutledge’s harmony vocals are understated but perfectly suited for the longing tone of the song. There’s something undeniably “right” about the entire song. Everything feels undeniably “right” about the song.

Like Fleetwood Mac at their peak, there’s something about the lineup of Early Winters that just clicks. Carina Round and Justin Rutledge could (and still might) continue their solo careers for years and turn out fine work with modest success. But “Spanish Burn” demonstrates that as a unit they have that certain indefinable chemistry that many bands would kill to possess, and hopefully it’s only the opening salvo in a long and rewarding partnership.

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Audra Mae “The River”

Daedelus featuring Laura Darling “Order of the Golden Dawn”

Jenny and Johnny “Big Wave”

What San Diego producer and emcee Mr. Brady may lack in name recognition he certainly makes up in credibility. Since 1995, Mr. Brady has been making beats, starting labels, nurturing hip-hop collectives, and releasing albums under his own name. His latest LP, Labor of Love, provides a telling snapshot of his signature style: a predilection for the conscious, early ’90s sound which favored jazzy, soulful samples and a more relaxed lyrical flow.

On “Catch,” Mr. Brady welcomes fellow west coaster and Stones Throw artist Aloe Blacc into the mix–not to sing, as he’s been making his mark lately, but returning to his earlier roots as a rapper. The partnership makes for a cozy fit, with the net effect especially reminiscent of one of our other favorite hip-hop artists as of late, Versis.

As the track draws to a close, Blacc remarks about wanting to “take the hip hop game back over” and “clean it up,” and really, the genre doesn’t get much cleaner than the sound of “Catch” with its mellow loop and easy groove. It’s sexy, too, in a way that little hip-hop is these days, with Blacc’s verses hugging those musical curves.

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“Eleven” starts off with a percussive intro that never lets up. The rim shots conjure up the sort of street festival that I might actually want to attend. These rhythms form the song’s engine, and they continue to surge forward throughout the track. Synths join in, ebbing and flowing almost carelessly.

At its core, “Eleven” revolves around its innovative vocals. The song’s three vocalists, Thao Nguyen, Mirah, and tUnE-YarDs sing in unision: “Love is love / Don’t ever go away.” The group vocals soon cede to Thao’s low singing, which is practically a chant: “I’m the traveling gentleman / I knew I would come back again.” Then Mirah’s higher voice alternates loosely with Thao’s, while tUne-YarDs, whose given name is Merill Garbus, tears up the background vocals.

Thao and tUne-YarDs have a history of collaboration. tUnE-YarDs offered guest vocals on “Easy” from Know Better, Learn Faster, which was Thao’s last release with the Get Down Stay Down. The song was on of the album’s highlights.

If I may refer to the over-used Nigel Tufnel Spinal Tap reference, it is the addition of Garbus’ sensibilities to this remarkable new track from Thao and Mirah that “turn it up to eleven.” The venerable Kill Rock Stars released Thao and Mirah on April 26, 2011. The album, which Thao, Mirah, and Merill co-produced, has (you guessed it) eleven tracks, and kicks off with “Eleven.”

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Gang Gang Dance “Mindkilla”

Gold Leaves “The Ornament”

Plant Plants “She’s No One”