Companion, a new project from Pepi Ginsberg (Red, East is East) evolved over the course of 2011 and has now found strong footing in it's lush vocal arrangements and strong rhythmic hooks. A clear departure from her earlier work, Companion delivers artful pop with a twist.

Ginsberg, this time around, developed a new sound first starting with more thorough home recordings, and by creating harmonies with band mates Anna Thorngate and Amy Carrigan, both of whom sang for a spell in the Brooklyn Ladies Choir, an all girls singing group Ginsberg formed in the winter of 2010.

With these vocally heavy versions of the songs, Ginsberg then teamed up with long-time bass-player Tim Lappin, new guitarist Kirk Schoenherr and drummer Justin Veloso to flesh out the tracks. Using beats Ginsberg made at home and reinterpreting with drummer Justin Veloso in the studio, the band started to create a sound that incorporated elements both organic and electronic. "I needed to learn how to write harder parts on my guitar, sing more challenging melodies and was listening to a lot of HOT 97," says Ginsberg. "I wanted to build beats and have electronic aspects to the music, so I had to figure out how to write them, and blend those ideas with the organic nature of the songs."

The production here is big and airy. With help from names such as Jake Aron (Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, Jamie Lidell) and Nathan Sabatino (Dr. Dog), Companion's eponymous debut is powerful, rich and compelling. It marks an auspicious and mature beginning for a young band.