Loch & Key

It’s not all about labrythian song titles and artwork, although at first blush you might think so of Loch & Key. The new L.A. duo is a collaboration between Sean Hoffman, the former guitarist in American Music Club and Bedroom Walls, and visual artist Leyla Akdogan, and their debut album “Jupiter’s Guide for Submariners” (due Sept. 7 in a limited run featuring Akdogan’s hand-stamped artwork) is an endearing tour de pop. California-styled indie, French pop, cabaret lite — the twosome’s fanciful songs flit around on Akdogan’s airy vocals and Hoffman’s subtle guitar work. ---BUZZBANDS.LA

Former American Music Club guitarist Sean Hoffman and visual artist Leyla Akdogan are now melodious duo Loch & Key, crooning old-style little ditties that would sound from another, gentler era, if they didn't directly reference Echo Park hipsters. Their new album, Jupiter's Guide for Submariners, is a limited-edition hand-stamped art object very much worth tracking down. -LA WEEKLY

On first listen, the new group recalls another soft-pop duo -- Dean & Britta, formerly of Luna. On debut album "Jupiter's Guide for Submariners," songs such as "Baby (I'm Thinking About You, Me & Somewhere)" offer hushed romantic sentiments and gently jazz-tinged arrangements -- sweet nothings eased into your ear in a members-only speakeasy. At times, the album turns rowdier, but Akdogan's voice never rises above a lulling whisper. -BRAND X

Right from the beginning of Jupiter's Guide for Submariners, Loch and Key has a familiar sound. But who does Leyla Akdogan sound like? The first person that comes to mind is Astrud Gilberto. She has the same breathy, almost whispered, delivery. And the first tune has the same sort of jazzy feel you might hear from Gilberto. While most of the album is a pretty mellow acoustic effort, there two pretty big exceptions. "A Rather Large Television-Shaped Head" is a song that has a lot going on. It is more uptempo than the preceding songs, and features some busy orchestration with electric guitar and keyboards and the rhythm section that really makes itself noticed for the first time on the album. The other exception is "Devil's Backbone." The composition of this song reminds me of "Red Staggerwing" on All the Roadrunning by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris. Leyla Akdogan is definitely the centerpiece of this band. These songs would not be the same without her vocals. However, don't think that I am forgetting Sean Hoffman. He displays some pretty good picking that brings Leo Kottke to mind (particularly in the song "Maybe"). Each of these songs is a pretty good story performed very well. If you like mellow indie folk rock, this is definitely one to add to your collection. And if you do, don't be surprised if this is an album that you bring out and tell people, "You need to hear this." Jupiter's Guide for Submariners is available on CDBaby. -ORANGE COUNTY MUSIC EXAMINER

Subtly glistening strands of bossa nova and jazz enhance the let’s-loll-by-the-pool dreaminess of this soothing pop platter from former American Music Club bassist Sean Hoffman and breathy vocalist Leyla Akdogan. There’s a hint of cowpunk galloping through “Devil’s Backbone,” but as with sunnier tracks like “In the Town of the Queen of the Angels” and “Mt. Washington” (“Take me to the place where the hipsters ride and they paint at a leisurely rate”), its force is more suggestive than overt. -PASADENA WEEKLY

Los Angeles’ Loch & Key was actually conceived in a French launderette, the South of France setting somehow matching the sunny vibes of their Southern California roots to a tee. Meanwhile, the pair that make up the group, former American Music Club member Sean Hoffman and artist Leyla Akdogan, trekked off to Catalonia in Span to pen the first tune for their new musical venture. What a picture perfect beginning for a dose of pure and summery AM pop flavors. -POPMATTERS

Sean Hoffman and Leyla Akdogan, the dynamic duo between Loch & Key, released their debut effort Jupiter's Guide for Submariners earlier this year and have been sailing the musical high seas ever since. The album opens with Mt. Washington, a bossa nova drenched ode to East LA, that sets the pace between the jazzy and the contemporary. After tapping your toes and snapping your fingers through 'In The Town of the Queen of Angels' -- 'The Girl from Ipanema' finds herself in Los Angeles? -- We end up at 'A Rather Large, Television-Shaped Head' with its more contemporary guitar work and Cardigans-esque feel. 'Maybe' and 'The Man Who Fell From the That Sky' slow the collection down with sincere balladeering before 'Devil's Backbone' kicks into a western gunslingin', God-fearin' romp. 'Goodnight Bright Eyes' closes things out with a solemn, but hopeful, instrumental. The album is a dreamy mix of Leyla's subtle, airy vocals on top of Sean's menagerie of guitar work. The entire album was recorded in Sean's Echo Park studio which features guest appearances from guitarist Vudi (American Music Club, Swans, Ariel Pink), drummer Derek Brown (The Eels, Everest), and pianist Marshall Thompson (Jem). With their friends to help them, Loch & Key's love and fascination of Los Angeles is apparent in every song, with 'Mt. Washington' and 'In The Town of the Queen of Angels' paying special tribute. -THE DELI

The local outfit Loch & Key opened the show with a short but alluring set drawn from their debut Jupiter’s Guide For Submariners. Frontwoman Leyla Akdogan has a very cool, somewhat Deborah Harry-gone-Euro chanteuse quality to her. Most of their songs project an interesting SoCal “chanson” quality sparked by the interplay between Akdogan singing and guitarist Sean Hoffman’s quiet but nimble playing. -MUSICAL SHAPES
- Various

It’s not all about labrythian song titles and artwork, although at first blush you might think so of Loch & Key. The new L.A. duo is a collaboration between Sean Hoffman, the former guitarist in American Music Club and Bedroom Walls, and visual artist Leyla Akdogan, and their debut album “Jupiter’s Guide for Submariners” (due Sept. 7 in a limited run featuring Akdogan’s hand-stamped artwork) is an endearing tour de pop. California-styled indie, French pop, cabaret lite — the twosome’s fanciful songs flit around on Akdogan’s airy vocals and Hoffman’s subtle guitar work. ---BUZZBANDS.LA

Former American Music Club guitarist Sean Hoffman and visual artist Leyla Akdogan are now melodious duo Loch & Key, crooning old-style little ditties that would sound from another, gentler era, if they didn't directly reference Echo Park hipsters. Their new album, Jupiter's Guide for Submariners, is a limited-edition hand-stamped art object very much worth tracking down. -LA WEEKLY

On first listen, the new group recalls another soft-pop duo -- Dean & Britta, formerly of Luna. On debut album "Jupiter's Guide for Submariners," songs such as "Baby (I'm Thinking About You, Me & Somewhere)" offer hushed romantic sentiments and gently jazz-tinged arrangements -- sweet nothings eased into your ear in a members-only speakeasy. At times, the album turns rowdier, but Akdogan's voice never rises above a lulling whisper. -BRAND X

Right from the beginning of Jupiter's Guide for Submariners, Loch and Key has a familiar sound. But who does Leyla Akdogan sound like? The first person that comes to mind is Astrud Gilberto. She has the same breathy, almost whispered, delivery. And the first tune has the same sort of jazzy feel you might hear from Gilberto. While most of the album is a pretty mellow acoustic effort, there two pretty big exceptions. "A Rather Large Television-Shaped Head" is a song that has a lot going on. It is more uptempo than the preceding songs, and features some busy orchestration with electric guitar and keyboards and the rhythm section that really makes itself noticed for the first time on the album. The other exception is "Devil's Backbone." The composition of this song reminds me of "Red Staggerwing" on All the Roadrunning by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris. Leyla Akdogan is definitely the centerpiece of this band. These songs would not be the same without her vocals. However, don't think that I am forgetting Sean Hoffman. He displays some pretty good picking that brings Leo Kottke to mind (particularly in the song "Maybe"). Each of these songs is a pretty good story performed very well. If you like mellow indie folk rock, this is definitely one to add to your collection. And if you do, don't be surprised if this is an album that you bring out and tell people, "You need to hear this." Jupiter's Guide for Submariners is available on CDBaby. -ORANGE COUNTY MUSIC EXAMINER

Subtly glistening strands of bossa nova and jazz enhance the let’s-loll-by-the-pool dreaminess of this soothing pop platter from former American Music Club bassist Sean Hoffman and breathy vocalist Leyla Akdogan. There’s a hint of cowpunk galloping through “Devil’s Backbone,” but as with sunnier tracks like “In the Town of the Queen of the Angels” and “Mt. Washington” (“Take me to the place where the hipsters ride and they paint at a leisurely rate”), its force is more suggestive than overt. -PASADENA WEEKLY

Los Angeles’ Loch & Key was actually conceived in a French launderette, the South of France setting somehow matching the sunny vibes of their Southern California roots to a tee. Meanwhile, the pair that make up the group, former American Music Club member Sean Hoffman and artist Leyla Akdogan, trekked off to Catalonia in Span to pen the first tune for their new musical venture. What a picture perfect beginning for a dose of pure and summery AM pop flavors. -POPMATTERS

Sean Hoffman and Leyla Akdogan, the dynamic duo between Loch & Key, released their debut effort Jupiter's Guide for Submariners earlier this year and have been sailing the musical high seas ever since. The album opens with Mt. Washington, a bossa nova drenched ode to East LA, that sets the pace between the jazzy and the contemporary. After tapping your toes and snapping your fingers through 'In The Town of the Queen of Angels' -- 'The Girl from Ipanema' finds herself in Los Angeles? -- We end up at 'A Rather Large, Television-Shaped Head' with its more contemporary guitar work and Cardigans-esque feel. 'Maybe' and 'The Man Who Fell From the That Sky' slow the collection down with sincere balladeering before 'Devil's Backbone' kicks into a western gunslingin', God-fearin' romp. 'Goodnight Bright Eyes' closes things out with a solemn, but hopeful, instrumental. The album is a dreamy mix of Leyla's subtle, airy vocals on top of Sean's menagerie of guitar work. The entire album was recorded in Sean's Echo Park studio which features guest appearances from guitarist Vudi (American Music Club, Swans, Ariel Pink), drummer Derek Brown (The Eels, Everest), and pianist Marshall Thompson (Jem). With their friends to help them, Loch & Key's love and fascination of Los Angeles is apparent in every song, with 'Mt. Washington' and 'In The Town of the Queen of Angels' paying special tribute. -THE DELI

The local outfit Loch & Key opened the show with a short but alluring set drawn from their debut Jupiter’s Guide For Submariners. Frontwoman Leyla Akdogan has a very cool, somewhat Deborah Harry-gone-Euro chanteuse quality to her. Most of their songs project an interesting SoCal “chanson” quality sparked by the interplay between Akdogan singing and guitarist Sean Hoffman’s quiet but nimble playing. -MUSICAL SHAPES
- Various