Los Angeles duo Touché is Alex Lilly (multi-instrumentalist and backup singer for The Bird And The Bee) and Bram Inscore (bassist for Twin Shadow). The two first met as teens in San Francisco, but didn’t fuse musically until their paths crossed again as adults in the City of Angels.

Touché’s debut album, It’s Fate, is due early next year, but their first single, “I’m A Man Not A Machine” was released at the end of October. The song’s shimmering synthpop pairs nicely with the sophisticated ’80s sound of Ice Choir, and I hope Touché has more on the way in a similar vein. Lilly’s lead vocals are lovely and Inscore’s bass is a beauty to behold:

Purchase Touché – “I’m A Man Not A Machine” via iTunes. Download a remix by Lee Cooper (aka Twin Shadow’s Wynne Bennett) for free via SoundCloud.

Also, Touché has just covered Prefab Sprout’s “Wild Horses” from the English pop group’s 1990 album, Jordan: The Comeback. I’m not terribly familiar with the original song (produced by Thomas Dolby), but Lilly and Inscore’s spare R&B rendition is made for midnight tête-à-têtes.

Free download of Touché – “Wild Horses” (Prefab Sprout cover) via the player above.