Chamber pop fans of a certain vintage ought to remember A Girl Called Eddy's lovely self-titled album from 2004 just like lovers of space age pop will fondly recall Fugu's near-brilliant 2000 album Fugu, Vol. 1. Both Erin Moran of Girl Called Eddy and Mehdi Zannad of Fugu sort of dropped out of sight afterward, though Fugu did continue to make albums throughout the decade. The reason for this brief history lesson is that Moran and Zannad were fans of each other's work and in 2014 got together to work on some songs. They decided the results were positive and the Last Detail was formed. The two artists traded ideas back and forth, coming up with an album of sophisticated and enchanting pop songs that blend the two artists' sensibilities perfectly. The Last Detail balances songs fronted by Moran and her rich, heartbreakingly pure vocals with those piloted by Zannad in understated soft pop fashion. Moran's songs are more prone to be big ballads that swirl around like leaves on a breezy autumn day, buffeted by orchestral strings and deep emotions. The gigantic "Lazy" is the dramatic center of the album, but it's not the only song that cuts deep. The '80s-friendly "Talk to Me" sounds like the best song Berlin never made, the country-soul weeper "You're Not Mine" would make Bobbie Gentry jealous, and the restrained "Fairweather Friend" is a gentle kiss of a song. She sets the bar very high with her songs and Zannad makes no attempt to best her in the emotional or sonic stake. His tunes are more relaxed and intimate, with peaceful melodies and his calm vocals keeping the flame on a low boil. The gently rollicking "Take My Hand" feels like a lost Nilsson song, "Die Cast" is a tender declaration of love set to Spanish guitars, and "Places" is a nice piano-led slice of sunshine pop made brighter by Moran's backing vocals. The pair do share vocals on a couple songs, like the epic album-ending ballad "Photographs'," and they blend very smoothly. In fact, everything about the album is smooth and easy, from the soft focus production to the care and finesse put into the musical backing by members of Fugu. It's a magical combination of talents and skills all around that results in something quite beautiful and lasting. The duo are perfectly matched and The Last Detail is chamber pop at its sweeping, emotive best. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi

1		Softly (Part 1)
2		Fun Fair
3		You're Not Mine
4		Trust Your Buddy
5		Take My Hand
6		Fairweather Friend
7		Lazy
8		Talk To Me
9		Die Cast
10		Tears
11		Places
12		Softly (Part 2)
13		Photographs

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