Various Artists
Lake Mary Presents: Visit
Heligator Records
Street: 03.28
Lake Mary Presents = TaughtMe + Grouper
 
Creating a cohesive compilation can prove difficult when working with a variety of artists and visions. Yet, Lake Mary Presents: Visit seems to be unanimously organized to evoke juxtaposed feelings of serenity in a frigid environment. “Cloud Ship,” by Saskatoon, at 10 minutes long, starts with a repetition of a simple beat that doesn’t really build into anything but more spaciousness, yet it seamlessly leads into the more melodic-based structures in “Topa” by Tanks, creating an ambient charm with a floaty, dream-like structure. This theme stays pretty common throughout, and local artist Lake Mary’s songs create a blanket to wrap around the entirety of this collection. And to top it all, this album comes with a purpose beyond just ear-pleasing: All proceeds for the record will be donated to building a library at the Malindza Refugee Camp in Mpaka, Swaziland, and you can download it at lakemary.bandcamp.com/album/lake-mary-presents-visit. –Brinley Froelich