Neo-psychedelic pop bands are sprouting up like mushrooms in a dark forest. Taking their lead from the Apples in Stereo and the Olivia Tremor Control, these bands prize atmosphere over pristine recordings, energy over technique, and songwriting hooks above all else. Shimmer Kids Underpop Association immediately leap to the forefront of the scene with their debut album, Bury My Heart at Makeout Point. The sound is bedroom pop by way of Spector and Mercury Rev with acoustic guitars, spacy keyboards, and high-pitched, yearning vocals. A sound that has certainly been done before, but Shimmer Kids bring a sense of wide-eyed sonic adventurism and some great songs to the party. From the opening "Society of Rockets," which has a chorus that rises out of the murky sound collage of the verse like a shining space capsule, to the harmony-filled and rollicking title track, to the acoustic guitar-driven "The Candidate" with its Al Stewart-esque sax, to the heartbroken epic "Kiss Them All Goodbye," this is a record filled with highlights. They even take the time to lampoon the ripe-for-parody Belle & Sebastian on the hilarious "Full Color Love Affair," with its propulsive guitars, piping horns, and snarky lines about e.e. cummings and sex. This is an amazing debut that hopefully points toward a future full of great music. Long may these kids shimmer.