Naive Castle is the latest single by Los Angeles via Baltimore, MD dream pop quintet, Wildhoney. After navigating between shoegaze and psych pop for most of their career, Wildhoney adds to the distortions a more sparkling guitar pop sound closer to The Sundays or Pale Saints with satisfying results. Elegant vocals and chiming guitars forever.

Something else from the press release:
Formerly based in Baltimore, Wildhoney have moved to the west coast and are now releasing their first new music in over two years. "Naive Castle" is a featured entry in Slumberland Records' SLR30 Singles Series. On the b-side you'll find a dreamy, late-night cover of Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me" that brings a wasted weariness to this tale of teenage yearning. It's a beautiful, earnest take on a tune that turns out to be a perfect match for Wildhoney's swooning style.

RIYL: The Sundays, early Throwing Muses, the compilation C86, Pale Saints and Elefant Records’ 1990s catalogue.

FCC CLEAN!
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2

1. (5:52) ***Naive Castle – Medium-up/slow tempo. Jangly guitars, dreamy vocals and a classic 1990s house rock rhythmic section as beat. Makes me think of Pale Saints. By 3:18 the tempo slows down, the vocals vanish and the track mutates into an ambient recording with some synth sounds and ethereal vocals buried in the mix.
2. (5:08) ***Kiss Me – Slow tempo. Driven by synths and ambient textures, their take on the Sixpence None the Richer song is less glossy and playful and more dramatic and atmospheric. The drum machine beat a la Suicide gives the track an amusing darkwave tone.