If all you had to go on were the gossamer guitars and gleaming synthesizer flecks in the opening moments of “Walking In Straight Lines,” then you could be forgiven for assuming that Insides’ debut album was just another dreamy 4AD release. (Technically, it was released on Ivo Watts-Russell’s Guernica side label.) Now make no mistake, Euphoria is plenty dreamy, thanks to Julian Tardo’s exquisite, Durutti Column-inspired playing and elegant production. Those qualities are particularly evident on songs like “Darling Effect” and “Distractions,” which unfurl with a sort of effortless grace that still feels unique in the realms of post-rock and dream pop.

But then bassist Kirsty Yates opens her mouth, and you realize these songs contain an edge that you were totally unprepared for. Utilizing that breathy voice of hers, Yates spins tales of lust, desperation, and heartache with blunt, confessional lyrics that present a fascinating juxtaposition with the lush music.

“I hate lovers,” she sighs on “Darling Effect” as Tardo’s guitars cascade around her; “I hate the way they go into the bathroom/In shifts after they’ve fucked.” Backed by “Skin Divers”’s stuttering industrial beat, she ponders the vagaries of desire and her body’s inevitable aging: “And how long before I’m dead below the waist?/And I can finally come clean/Lie back and not feel?” Finally, “Carly Simon” finds her striking an aloof pose as she ponders “What if demanding attention/Has nothing to do with devotion/And everything to do with self obsession?” before dropping a Sylvia Plath reference.

Euphoria was released less than a month after Cocteau Twins dropped Four-Calendar Café, and it’s interesting to compare and contrast the two groups. Both are superb at using richly textured sonics to create albums that feel like little worlds unto themselves. But whereas the Twins create dream worlds that you wander through, eyes full of wonder, Insides is grittier, more sensual and angst-ridden — though no less arresting or beautiful for it.