From the drummer that accompanies, in my humble opinion, two of the greatest current bands in existence today, Papercuts and Beach House, comes Roman Ruins whose 7″ single Pastor/Al is now out on Gold Robot Records. Like the two greats, Roman Ruins creates surreal pop music with a dreamy edge that is inherently cool.

Pastor/Al is actually the collaboration of Graham Hill, who provides the musical aspects on the album, and Hunter Mack, who created the art. And art it is — Mack lends an abstract eye to the project, incorporating various textures and a brilliant palate to the visual piece. To further enhance its beauty, the music itself is branded onto an opaque orange disc seven inches in diameter. Pristine!

The A-Side track is “Why Party?”, a hip melodic piece that is a smooth as it is masterful. “The Comeback” is the flip-side track and while it doesn’t quite match its predecessor, it holds plenty of weight on its own. Mine came with a digital download that included two remixes of “Why Party?” Both matched the original.

As a treat, this Beach House track was released yesterday in support of the single — check it out then head over to Gold Robot Records and grab one of the hottest pieces of wax you’ll find this year.

Download: “The Comedown” by Roman Ruins

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Download: “Lover Of Mine (Roman Ruins Remix)” by Beach House

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Gold Robot Records [CD, 2010]

1. Why Party?
2. The Comedown