Sutro

Picture a skyline. Then, fog cascading down the wooded hills of San Francisco, towards the Pacific. And rising up from that land is a tower — the radio antenna of the Sutro Tower — that reaches upwards like a metal claw, as if to harness all of the power of the sky. That is the image Christina Chatfield's Sutro conjures and is also its point of inspiration.

Chatfield, based in SF, offers Mysteries an impressive, visionary full-length debut. Abound with polyphonic synth work and immersive tonal structures, these arrangements unfold into lush, cinematic soundscapes. Chatfield has long been a versatile producer with roots in techno, electro, ambient, shoegaze and more — and all of these influences come through in Sutro.

Tracks like “Nameless,” with its misty vocals layered over hypnotic synth, pay homage to the shoegaze greats. At other points, the album turns retro-futuristic, becoming a sonic rendering of the Sutro Tower itself. Altogether, the album nourishes and satisfies: thoughtfully conceptualized and wholly complete.