The Blessed Isles are a Brooklyn-based dream pop duo whose lush, chiming guitars and driving drum machine rhythms recall the Cocteau Twins and Slowdive as well as the more uptempo, urgent moments of the Cure and New Order. Initially formed as a solo project of Aaron Closson, frontman of Dallas alternative rockers the Hourly Radio, the Blessed Isles became a duo with the addition of Nolan Thies from fellow Dallas group Little Black Dress. The duo released a digital EP titled Caroline in 2011, but they quickly pulled it from online retailers once they signed with Saint Marie Records that year. The Blessed Isles contributed tracks to the label's Static Waves compilation series while continuing to work on their debut full-length, in addition to Closson completing graduate studies at Yale. The album, titled Straining Hard Against the Strength of Night, finally arrived in April of 2016. ~ Paul Simpson