Them Are Us Too is two people, which probably explains the streamlined aestheticism of the song and the self-directed and edited music video for “Eudaemonia”. The song and video seem to be made from the same batch of uneasy ingredients, by two people who have a firm grasp on what they’re doing.

“Eudaemonia” is the opening track of their latest album Remain, off DAIS Records. The duo live in Santa Cruz, which is interesting mainly because listening to their music, it would be damn hard to tell they live in the beautiful Northern California surf town. Constantly compared to the bands of 4AD in the early ’80s, Them Are Us Too wear some of their influences on their sleeve, and even met one another because of a shared interest in Cocteau Twins and The Sisters of Mercy. Often times bands get dismissed for sounding “too nostalgic,” presumably under the impression that sounds go in and out of style, but Them Are Us Too are a nice rebuttal. They remind me that full, floating synth and guitar melodies paired with acrobatic vocals aren’t just an artifact from an era, but a potentially beautiful way to frame a feeling.