If ever an act was built to age gracefully it’s The Pastels. The Glasgow band has been through many permutations around Stephen Pastel, and changed in sound a good bit, but always had a sense of quirk and originality that put them out on their own. They were seen as the quintessence of “twee” or “shambolic” indie in the mid 80s, but even then their songwriting and structures were way more sophisticated than this allowed. And as they’ve developed in latter years, that has shown in more and more rarefied ways. This collaboration with “avant pops” couple Saya and Takashi Ueno is case in point. Sung in English and Japanese, and featuring a gorgeous take on The Jesus & Mary Chain‘s “About You”, with flutes, clarinets and chimes circling through its indie-pop structures, it’s incredibly delicate and weaves a space around you where melancholy and real happiness can exist in harmony. Like going into a small but beautiful and welcoming space to shelter from a rainstorm, it feels like a true sanctuary.