Albums on the Record: Princeton’s “Cocoon of Love”

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At first glance you’d think Princeton are another of the East coast, Ivy league-bred bands who have been popping up the last few years. Their first EP was about a 20th century British writing collective and their press photos have the look of tousled young men who’ve just returned from sailing off Martha’s Vineyard. It seems that the name Princeton isn’t a shout out to that venerable academic institution, but the street in Santa Monica where twin brothers Jesse and Matt Kivel grew up. That’s right, they’re an L.A. band.

Together with childhood friend Ben Usen, they formed Princeton and moved the whole production out to Eagle Rock, which is so far east in L.A. that even the kids in Silver Lake think going to the Target there is too far. Drummer David Kitz was added and a debut album was born. Cocoon of Love has orchestral aspects in common with indie poppers Beirut, and highlights Princeton’s ability to score string sections to sit alongside their pop songs.

The Kivel boys and Usen grew up together and learned to play the flute, saxophone and piano as children. They say they vowed to start a band after watching the movie musical “That Thing You Do!” in 6th grade. The movie’s lead single was famously composed by master pop crafter Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne. The boys split apart for college but came back together during a study abroad program in London, finally formed a band and started playing gigs.

They’ve named Scott Walker as one of their many influences, and the pop song with baroque arrangements sound is what they seem to be going for, but with a less ethereal aesthetic and a more Brian Wilson-inspired style of straight-forward song structure.