Islands leader Nick Thorburn and singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie craft sunny and effortless melodies on Moody Motorcycle, their debut album as Human Highway out now on Suicide Squeeze Records.

New York City's intimate Cake Shop isn't normally a venue for stand-up comedy, but last night's first-ever set from folksy duo Human Highway -- a.k.a., ex-Unicorns and current Islands bandleader Nick Thorburn and singer-songwriter Jim Guthrie -- could have been easily mistaken for a regular laugh-in.

Here's a rundown of the essential albums available online and in record stores today, with more after the jump. Click each album title to read Spin's review:

What? If you've ever taken any sort of dreamy downer drug -- recommended Benedryl dosage included -- we can safely assume you're familiar with the warm-blood-surge, numbed-spine, ocular zoom-out beauty that can softly sweep through your veins.

Moonlighting gigs have seemingly become the central preoccupation of many of today's more relevant indie artists, and the inhabitants of Islands are no exception, despite the recent release of that group's excellent Arm's Way.