Kero Kero Bonito "Time 'N' Place" (2018)

 Going forth with a bold stylistic shift, Kero Kero Bonito introduce a rather gristly over driven guitar tone into the mix! Not only do they dial back the childish quirk and charm established prior, the keys too recoil from punchy unabashed aesthetics. Time 'N' Place has the trio trying on new shoes. When sticking to their guns, they find a glossy, serine temperament stepping into classic Pop vibes with a modern edge. On the other front, hints of Grunge, Indie Pop and Shoegazing push them towards the uncanny valley as creative ideas clash with a touch of imposter syndrome lurking nearby.

Alongside the strives into guitar driven territory, the group take failing inspiration from the abrasive scenes of Glitch and Noise music. Three tracks in and Only Acting grates away with intentional CD skips leading into a ear aching assault of sharp fuzz on the listening. It seems so pointless, a barrage of disorientation that doesn't resolve to anything of interest. Fortunately these grating oddities are few and far between.

It doesn't look good among a series of misses. Opening with Outside, the Shoegazing kicks off on an odd note, not quite gelling with the sparkling synths found glittering around its chord progressions. From their most the songs land on odd footings, just not landing a charm as they low through a string of simple themes and old timely vibes. Late in the track listing, Sometimes is another stride beyond means. Aiming for a youthful, folksy pub sing along, the brash acoustic guitar strumming clashes with unrehearsed singing. The VGM 8bit synth jam that takes place alongside sours too.

Most the songs are inoffensive but oddly mediocre in the shadow of their other works. It makes for a dull, lukewarm listen that often drags. Bit of a shame considering how interesting I've found this group up to this point. In fact what comes after with Civilization II is remarkable, a major difference from whats to be heard here. Time 'N' Space feels like the new ideas they brought to the mix didn't have the chemistry.

Rating: 4/10

Cranes "Loved" (1994)

 

With a warm uplift in mood felt on Forever, Cranes return two years on continuing that trajectory. It arrives along with a musical shift in tone that firmly positions them within the 90s Dream Pop sound. Taking on a Shoegazing guitar aesthetic and shedding the shades of Industrial and darkness that followed them before, one can hear their established song writing style taking on new ideas but mostly leaning on thick acoustic chord strumming and hazy lead guitars that paint dreamy waves of bendy reverberating noise over top. Its charming in these particular strides.

Opening with Shining Road once can hear a percussive distinction that crops up a few times over. Its one of these musical ideas where the direction just feels different. With an injection of lively drums, fit for the times, Cranes offer something that doesn't exactly build on the sound they have forged. Where they get it right is with the dreary guitar haze that washes over a handful of tracks. The song Beautiful Friend is an underwhelming cross of the two. The following Bewildered however gets it spot on.

Lilies and Loved are two tracks leaning into their darker past with crowded noise and gristly stiff guitar licks to stir a little menace and unease among an otherwise warm record. Cranes's music does however still linger in that strange place I can only describe as limbo, with Shaw continuing her roll as the voice of innocence adjacent to danger. Its the Shoegazing guitar that embellished this record with a rewarding new direction. I hope to hear more of that lushness on the next outing.

Rating: 6/10

Poppy "Flux" (2021)

 

Not one to stick with a sound for long, Poppy moves on from the eclectic aesthetic extremities of I Disagree and metallic framework, now plunging deep into the 90s with a wash of warm hearted Grunge, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock & Dream Pop! This nostalgic lens that quite a few bands lean on these days serves up a huge advantage in terms of variety. Flux capitalizes on this fortunate position, sounding like its from an era but not being cast to one mold as many of its inspirations would have been.

The tracks Hysteria and As Strange As It Seems highlight this perfectly. Both resurrect dreamy Shoegazing guitar tones and the hazy production tricks of My Bloody Valentine's acclaimed Loveless without burdening the listener through a whole album of its dreary ambling nature. All songs have their shade of influences, in different degrees, from a moody Her too the amped up head banger Lessen The Damage.

The variety is where the magic is at. Originality not a concern as her usual collaborators and album producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen provide some amazingly written songs and gorgeous guitar tones in many flavors to flesh out the record wonderfully around her voice. The track arrangement is smooth too, shifting in temperament and intensity to keep things exciting and brief at only thirty two minutes.

I'm not sure that Poppy herself holds much of the dazzle. Her performances don't seem all too defining. The instrumentals make the songs more so than her singing. Her softer range is endearing but when reaching for more energy she lacks a strong character as the nostalgic lens has her singing in the shadow of anothers style. Themes and lyrics are locked in well, hooks and timings ripe but its missing a shine.

 Flux has been fun and refreshing, a spirited journey back into the 90s. With a broader sense of ideas to draw on it excels without doing anything remarkable or unexpected. Being keen on this era it was all to easy to get sucked but after many spins it firmly resides in that space where I'm not sure if these numbers will stick. So for now the record goes into shuffle, awaiting to see if its resurrection will be rewarding.

Rating: 7/10

Deafheaven "Infinite Granite" (2021)

 

With a dramatic withdrawal of extremity, Deafheaven emerge from a cocoon reborn in a new form both drastically different and strangely similar. With one fell swoop the band land on a thing of beauty with Infinite Granite. The deeper instincts of their inspirations blossom as they distance themselves from the Black Metal, or Blackgaze they are associated with. Dialing in closer towards traditional Shoegaze, an invigorating, textured wall of sound ebbs and flows with intensity, swaying through calm breezes and emotive storms with an effortless grace that feels so right.

It is singer George Clarke who illuminates and makes sense of this shift in tone. Finding a new voice, he swoons with purity, navigating the shimmering ethereal nightly mood his band mates conjure. As an anchoring force, his gentle and sincere presence adds so much meaning and grace, especially when dreamily drifting with a softness through the instrumental turbulence, riding out the storms. The particular style is one I can't quite put my finger on. Its a little Morrisy perhaps but there is some 80s voices I'm sure he holds a candle to with this remarkable performance.

All the beauty converges with these remarkably busied and bustling instrumentals. The drums shuffle and rattle ceaselessly. The bass guitar works a dense underbelly for the shimmering guitars to sway back and forth between dark glossy acoustic chord plucking and rapturous build ups of swelling guitar distortion. It all ebbs and flows together as one cohesive force, the songs rolling of one and into another. Between it all subtle electronic keyboard tones weave in and out of focus and making itself known with the misty ambiguous instrumental piece Neptune Raining Diamonds.

The initial, noteable thing of remark is the departure from Black Metal, however these intensities with screaming and surges of instrumental force are found here and there as wretched crescendos push whats beautiful in this dark realm to its absolute limits. Although it feels more like traditional Shoegazing, the dense wall of sound and depth of texture is quite the meaty affair. It seems melodic and emotive yet its laid on heavy. Its seemingly a big change but more so a smart re-arrangement of select pieces on the chessboard, to break it down from a more technical perspective.

Infinite Granite will be one of my favorites this year and not a moment of it turns me off. Will its spark dull with time? I hope not, I adore this engrossing experience. It feels like one to be enjoyed as a whole, ending with the remarkable epic Mombasa! If anything written here sparked your interest, give it a listen! Surely it wont disappoint!

Rating: 9/10

Cocteau Twins "Peppermint Pig" (1983)

 

Before the Cocteau Twins sophomore record, arrives another, ultimately disappointing, three track EP. Released in April of 1983, it captures a moment of creative poverty where the music fails to venture upon anything of remark. Reading up on its creation, the group were forced to work with an outside producer while also feeling that their creative efforts were not up to scratch. It shows just about everywhere. The record has a drab, dry tone where its instruments feel lone and separate. The baselines rumble in repetition with a tone that feels distant from the hazy guitars. They reside in a narrow, chromatic space, dull and meandering. The hypnotic wash of pedal effects and reverb offer up little depth or texture unlike before.

Its fractions from being right but these small differences in feeling turn the songs into dull drones. The title track has some merit as layers of creepy synths and loose, shaky pianos add some much needed depth. The drum machine too is lacking in arrangement variety. The tone is dull and grinding, lacking natural echo and creativity that got it by on Garlands. In front of it all Fraser sings with a routine, that distance between instruments amplify a sore tiredness in her performance. As the band have described it themselves, its not a good record but it should be said the title track holds up okay. Its Laugh Lines and Hazel that offer little musically, further exposed by this drab production style. Disappointing but not a representation of whats to come.

Rating: 2/10

Cocteau Twins "Garlands" (1982)

 
New year, new journey. To kick of 2021 I have picked out the Cocteau Twins, a band who's legacy on Ethereal music is well known to me, they are a huge influence on one of my favorite groups Autumns Grey Solace. I'm dead keen on two of the Scottish Trio's albums but Ive never dived much deeper and that's what we will now undertake.

Starting with their dreary, cold and haunting debut Garlands, released late in 1982 on 4AD Records, they ride a wave of Post-Punk bands exploring new territory and at this stage show glimmers of whats to come. Its of the era, bold upfront baselines permeate the music with solid drives of rhythm and marching tune as wails of effect soaked guitar noise create this eerie ambience of atmosphere, pale and bleak yet densely textured from its narrow confines within the mix. Screeching chords and disjointed melodies play with a grainy quality. The fretwork loops back on itself, panning in stereo, circulating ideas without progression. The music plods on in a consistently depressing manor, monochromatic like the unending grey skies of rainfall.

It was not as I expected, I actually found its temperament most comparable to Lycia's classic Cold. It too being a shivering and dark sombre affair of nightly ambiguity and unease. Yet of course the attraction to all this is the smothering mood of dreary music that can conjure the imagination of darker meditative places. Garlands never relentless from that dreary yet oddly relaxing tone. Its best releases from the tension come with the occasional baseline or lead guitar that wanders off to a warmer state of being but only ever for a brief moment before being pulled back to the norm.

The counterbalance is singer Elizabeth Fraser. Soon to evolve into the acts crowning jewel, at this point she is still finding her voice with a somewhat timid performance that is equal too the murky tone. Soft and shy in stature and performance, she is often matched by the instrumental power but her grace is felt often with beautifully sung words and reoccurring vibrato inflection at the end of her sentences. It may be mostly in the mix as her voice does tend to bleed into the guitars with the baselines still prowling proud, unhindered as they march forever forward with a firm stride.

This is a fascinating record, for its songs tend to feel like singular ideas whirling in repetition. It is dazzling in a curious ability to lure one into its stormy arms. Despite being buddy and murky its production aids the concept well with the drum machines competently keeping pace as its reverberated snare strikes frequently with a cutting harshness occasionally thrown to pitch shifting echos. The only drawback is Fraser's vocals, they sound underutilized an quiet, knowing she will hit spectacular heights with records to come. A truly dark and spooky starting point for a band that will bring much glamour and beauty to this spellbound flavor of darkness.

Favorite Track: Garlands
Rating: 7/10

Deftones "Ohms" (2020)

How is it that after a handful of spins, these ten new tracks feel like songs you've know for years? With each record Deftones pivot to a new shade of sound, a fresh take on a decades spanning identity. Title track and lead single Ohms flags the new direction as the group lean deep into their Shoegaze era inspirations. Its almost misleading as the most ambitious number to emphasize Steven Carpenter's riffing direction, now utilizing a nine string guitar yet he can't help but drift into classic groove laden chugs on half of these songs. They sway, cushioned below the hazy rising sun of Chino's sleepy voice entangled with ever present light airy synths that permeate the unique atmosphere of this stunning album, the bands ninth in a string of successes.

Opening with Genesis, eerie saw wave synths stir soft tensions as dreamy, sombre acoustics paint reoccurring colors to the canvas. In a moments notice it gives way to the slam of Steven's Djent tonality with the intensity dialed to the forefront. The synth remains, as it does throughout the record, sustaining a soft, warm haze that will in turn blossom many beautiful moments when barraging distortion riffs give way. Its the temperament of Chino's swooning voice that feels crucial to the swaying. Their musical chemistry never needs selling though his soaring cries to softer breathy speaking hits a home run, gluing it all together with a charm that never fades.

 On Urantia his inflections and pitch have an uncanny resemblance to Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins. With so many shared commonalities and parallels in music its actually remarkable how little of the record conjures thoughts of other artists. And yet still across its ten songs there is much diversity, especially when they deviate from norms as the guitar direction feels intentionally more explorative. When attune experimentation flourishes, the singular, textural synths often shine. Error is simply magical, no thanks to the spellbinding drone of its spooky swirling oscillation.

Its a particularly strong moment as it transitions into the albums best, The Spell Of Mathematics. Initially a sludgy slug fest of low end noise, the creepy synths break for esoteric interludes that eventually culminate with Chino ushering a ravishing warmth from its unsettled, chilling atmosphere. The composition highlights a strange tone Ohms posses. Its a foot a two realms, finding limbo as all that's glossy and gorgeous is in constant friction with an ominous, faceless lurching presence. Dark, chilling yet far from danger or evil it carves a place that feels like a lonely wandering dream.

Working with Terry Date, the production is no doubt a marvel. Crisp, clear instruments with depth, fidelity and character meet on a stage fit for straight forward music capable of blooming into dense walls of magical sound. Abe Cunningham continues to impress as he houses not only the monstrous grooves but the flushes where Deftones step further from their tradition. Early on in the record I feel like we hear far more of his creativity, deeper in its a little routine. The baselines too, often an undercurrent, play a roll, livening up much of the music with its added power in the dense mixture.

The Deftones have a deep authentic chemistry. Taking care and time with each record there is simply no denying their execution. Ohms is inspired, interesting and mesmerizing when your locked in. Its best comes from texture and atmosphere, the heavy persuasion a familiar one that works best when pinned in by the synths, Frank Delgado really gave this record a special edge. The one dimension I all too often miss out on is lyrics. Many of the lines I did catch onto felt artistic and poetic, I'm sure a read of the lyric sheet is worth while. That will be on the "to do" list for now and so will this record as I'll continue to binge for some time, no doubt!

Rating: 9/10

Loathe "I Let It In And It Took Everything" (2020)

Its my first record with the Liverpool based five man outfit. Six years together, their sophomore album gave me an initial impression that hasn't shook after a plethora of listens. I Let It In And It Took Everything strikes me as the collision of three bold ideas converging with little cohesion on behalf of its heaviest aspect that cuts with a blunt soreness I'm yet to along with. Disjointed barrages of dirty guitar distortion, pounded in through bleak Hardcore grooves and Djent polyrhythms make a despairing gap open between the beauty on the opposing side. I'm sure its conceptual but not for one moment does it feel like a natural progression for me, the listener.

Its key counterpart is the sombre yet blissful, soaked in beautiful sadness uplift of melodic tinged Metal, deeply in the vein of Deftones and Fightstar. Its a gorgeous execution of moody Shoegazng guitar noise and soaring vocals that is a pleasure to indulge with. Its arrival often comes parallel to the third axis, serine and meditative temporal synths, brilliant tonal work on the keys that have an uncanny resemblance to the spiritual magic of Steve Roach. They often slide into play with ambient environment sampling, building a curious tension for the next thread to unravel.

The album plays with a jarring sense of pace, routinely lunging from a warm, flowing, wall of melodic noise into upheavals of dispersing rhythmic tension. Slabs of gritty guitar, Industrial noise and gristly shouts interrupt routinely. On occasion it does have merit, finding a groove or weight to deliver, its just rather inorganic. A track in the middle, New Faces In The Dark, is perhaps best suited to melding these opposing sounds, finding some elasticity between sides where its more often, simply abrupt.

My take away from the many spins Ive endured is a record that feels like two simultaneously hashed together. I enjoy both aspects however they don't meld well. The colossal abrasiveness of the metallic ambushes dispels the sombre magic of Chino inspired vocals over colorful Metal and in a way, vise versa. Perhaps it is my own expectations that get in the way but I just wish it would stay in one place when I'm listening. Despite being hung up on all this, its got cracking songs and plenty to return too but as an album experience its a mess!

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: Theme, 451 Days, Scream, Is It Really You, Gored

Autumn's Grey Solace "Englelícra" (2019)

 

Somehow, someway, I missed this release last year by one of my favorite bands! I think I've struggled to enjoy their recent records as much due to a shift in direction and lack of evolution that's left one of the duo's most charming aspects, the singing of lyrics, in the dust. However going into this, their twelfth studio record, I was essentially prepared to embrace whatever it was. With that relinquish of expectation I found my self absorbed by the moody sombre beauty of their established sound once again.

With no surprises Scott Ferrell plucks out eight constructs of lavish instrumentation, all oozing in echos and reverberations. His shimmering guitars birth a luscious tropical darkness both beautiful and melancholy, a colorful sound that drifts into the pale. Driven along by soft but firm driving baselines and simple looping arrangements of cavernous drum patterns, the songs tend to exchange their complimenting sections back and forth before the run time concludes the song with no crescendo.

Singer Erin Welton lends her voice to the music more so as an instrument, singing just notes with a sweet and soft delicacy, coming in like a wind gusting through and fading back into the silence. Of course she is given a fair helping of reverb to achieve this ghostly yet beautiful tone. She tends to deploy melodies the likes of a synth would do, dropping on top of the instrumental with short notation loops to layer up the harmony. Their are occasions of experimentation and vocal dexterity but its mostly simple.

All the songs tend to echo the shades of previous songs as the formula has barely shifted and given the relatively simple song structures and lack of complexity the album really hinges on mood and atmosphere. To no surprise that is where they excel and so this record was warm and welcoming to dive into, getting exactly what you'd expect, an engrossing Ethereal feeling. I would still very much like to see them diversify and experiment but no complaints from me if this is all we get!

Rating: 7/10

Alcest "Spiritual Instinct" (2019)

Years on from the serine glory of Les Voyages De L'Âme, I find myself poised in a spot many bands put me in when they stick with an established sound. Spiritual Instinct is French Black Metal band Alcest's sixth full length album and it predictably retains its harmony between hazy, atmospheric Black Metal and melodic Shoegazing. It sways between the darkness of cold metallic aggression and upheavals of sunny relief to birth magic in the union of previously juxtaposed musical ideas.

Its the band at their best however the now established sound fails to dig in deep, many of its songs birth the same settings and moods that have graced us before. If anything is to be said of this latest installment it is perhaps the meanest at times with guitar distortions a touch more textured and gritty. There are also a handful of plunges into the shadows as the shrill howling screams come around with more frequency between the more common middle ground of opposing styles in unison.

Sapphire and the closing title tracks do hinge into lighter territories with Post-Metal guitars loosening up the intensity for the vulnerable melodic singing to muster spurs of lush and delicate emotional movements. Protection stands out as its mid section has a fantastic building of intensity. Maniacal string swell in the background, driving the music to its highest crescendo. Perhaps the one defining moment of the whole record because otherwise it is wholly enjoyable but lacks a challenge or shift.

Favorite Track: Protection

Rating: 6/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "Eocene" (2018)

The consistency continues! Autumn's Grey Solace are one of my favorite groups from this "youtube era" of my musical addiction, maintaining a steady output of records through the years. After the disappointing Monajjfyllen I have been left thinking that the duo have essentially run out of ideas with little of their music feeling new or fresh. I also ponder if the powers of mood and timing play a roll in enjoying their unique Ethereal sound I adore so much. This new release Eocene embodies all that I feared in terms of originality yet it has been an absolute delight to indulge in.

Not a fraction of this record attempts anything unexpected. I know each of their other ten albums inside out and listen to this new shapter as if it were a greatest hits record. Singer Erin Welton once again blesses us with her lush and serine voice, indulging in lavish reverbs with the usual timings, demeanor and lack of lyrics. On most the songs she just cruises notes with her chords but on occasions her words are lost to a wall of reverb that quite often fills a small frequency range into a soft white noise keen ears will pick up on. Scott Ferrell again shimmers and glistens away on his effects soaked guitars. His production technique brings it altogether in an ooze of dreamy Ethereal sweetness, succulent in its helping of serine colorful melodies fit for the night.

For one reason or another the songs do indeed resonate with the best of what Ive heard them do before. Not every track tho, Untamed Flora for example sounds a little thin and short on composition. Its lack of depth lets its lead melodies stray into lulls. Most the songs transcend their parts and hit the emotions, which has been a problem for me when I understand the construct of their unchanging sound so well. Each song becomes a break down of previous drum patterns, vocal arrangements and exotic guitar sounds reassembled. This time it worked making for many indulgent listens.

Favorite Tracks: Gazing Across An Endless Sea, Echoland, Extinction

Rating: 7/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "Celestial Realms" (2017)

This post will be short and sweet. Autumn's Grey Solace are one of my favorite bands. Their dark yet luminous, soft and sorrowful spell of Ethereal indulgence is an absolute treat. Serene and tranquil, the heavy washing of reverberated sounds lets the alluring vocals of Erin Welton soar graciously through gorgeous synths and shimmering guitars that meld into an ooze of soothing noise, sounding both luscious, ripe and harmonious. In the first few years of being heavily into their music, rotating it often, I grew to adore their releases but after 2012's stunning "Divinian", "Monajjfyllen" and "Windumæra" couldn't quite do it for me. With this release I fear the same fate, these songs are just unable to make an impact on me.

As a listener the problem is in predictability and similarity, not a moment passes by that feels unexpected or surprising, every strum of the guitar, chord arrangement or note sung feels like pieces of the puzzle re-arranged. No song here was a stranger, from start to end It feels like Déjà vu, all Ive heard before and that makes it harder to leave an impression. The records tone, production and aesthetic is sublime, one of their best sounding records but the music is so distinctively typical and within the usual tropes they perform it fails to make itself known or unique. After many enjoyable listens I feel as if I could of been listening to anyone of their recent releases, it lacks distinction or something to separate and call its own.

Favorite Track: Andromedea

Rating: 5/10

Slowdive "Slowdive" (2017)

Waiting for Run The Jewels to headline Field Day in London, my ears were captivated by a beautiful haze of Ethereal droning coming the rammed tent where Death Grips had played earlier in the day. As I shuffled my way over, nursing a hot tea, the bands logo hung in massive letters, dwarfing the band members and I found myself in awe yet unable to stay. It looked like one heck of a show but I wanted to see them properly, not just for fifteen minutes before Id have to charge over to the main stage. I covered their EP Blue Day a while back but never got around to the rest of their discography. They were a short lived band in the boom of 90s shoe-gazing and couple of years back reformed, resulting a new self titled full length, notably their debut record was also named Slowdive.

The album bleeds into itself, in the same way the music does. Every moment drones on with lush melodies, falling into shimmering reverberations as soft serene singing ushering in a lullaby state of relaxation. Where these songs retain themselves in an eternal moment found through blissful shoe-gazing, the album consequently feels as if its without progression or direction. Whatever song is playing, that is the moment right now, any order of songs could of proceeded. I love how consistently soothing the calming mood and hazy tone of the record is. Its as if its without start or end, forever stagnating within its own slice of time.

As one singular experience there's barely any strong or weak points, its all very steady and even. A few songs start with the bare bones, slow, cushioning drums and warm baselines wait for the eruption of epic scaling guitars to come crashing in with a thick wave of echoing wonder. Its all rather somber and melancholy yet the flickering of tuneful melodies shining through the walls of sound give it a warm uplifting air. The voices of the two singers, Neil and Rachel, bouncing off one another resonates deeply into the music and can often be "that moment" in a song when there words peak through the haze of sounds. For forty six minutes it is a sweet musical indulgence, one that could of gone on for longer. As I mentioned this record is like one continuing moment, if your in the mood for its meditative vibes then its a real treat to be enjoyed.

Rating: 7/10

Alcest "Kodama" (2016)

French Shoegazing band Alcest have made waves in the past from their unique fusion with Black Metal, taking their hazy guitars to bleaker tones and pairing them with shrill screams between harmonious singing. On this record they distance themselves a little from the darker side of their sound and dive further into the introspective sounds of Post-Metal. Like a band that know their craft well, Alcest churn out another handful of enigmatic tracks illuminated by a keen sense of colorful melancholy melodies that weave in and out of their hazy, thick guitars that continually shift the musics pace with varying intensities.

Its a similar affair to 2012's "Les Voyages De L'Âme". With less screaming and darkness the band swim through similar waters which made it less remarkable for me. These songs are gorgeous, full of transitions between smothering guitars and acoustic interludes that fluidly explore the juxtaposition in their sound and to much merit can so swiftly move between gentle melodies to harrowing screams and dense guitar chord shredding with no rigidity. "Je Suis D'allieurs" sounds almost parallel "Nous Sommes L'emeraude" in its opening stages, something that most of this record does, echo moments from a previous record.

Its a strange criticism of a band you enjoy when they do the same thing, personally I think progression is important for musicians, hearing the same thing over and over rarely works. "Untouched" and "Notre Sang Et Nos Pensées" steer further towards spacious Post-Metal sounds, which give some freshness to the record. The records shortest "Oynx" hums a bleak and hurtful atmosphere of sorrow through heavily narrowed guitar distortions and bass guitar bleeding into one another for a peak into a grave moment of existence. These breaks from the norm where exciting in an otherwise predictable, yet truly serene listening experience.

Favorite Tracks: Kodama, Onyx

Rating: 6/10

The Veldt "The Shocking Fuzz Of Your Electric Fur - The Drake Equation" (2016)

I picked up this short record after reading a rave review on this records "innovation" praising its inclusion of trap influenced drumming and dreamy ethereal overtones. I didn't really feel it and learning about the bands backstory added a lot of clarity as to why I didn't see eye to eye on this record. The Veldt have been inactive for almost two decades, they formed in the late 80s and their debut was released in the mid 90s at the tail end of the Shoegazing Dream Pop era. Their reunion and this record has an old sound brought back to life with modern percussive influences and a richer sound given the fidelity of present recording techniques.

The Shocking Fuzz is quite an inviting record, calm, serine and soulful, oozing synthesizers and bleeding guitars wash together in a haze of reverb for lead singer Daniel to drift into with soft, harmonious singing that's sleepy and calming in its authenticity. The walls of ethereal sound created in a typically shoe gazing fashion are distant, dense, mysterious and layered with details that swirl around, expanding and contracting with the music. The percussion varies in style from track to track and accommodates the wall of sound that blossoms in the track, as opposed to playing a key role in its direction.

Each track is a little inconsequential with no big arks of progression but singular moments that suspend the enigmatic sound of the dissonant guitars while they create expansive soundscapes with their rich and deep tone, best heard on "An It's You" where the guitars cut in and out of the track, rapidly transforming its depth and composition. With each listen the familiarity soaks away some of the charm and the singular nature of the tracks has them stagnating with a lack of events to spice up the setting. The talk of ethereal music mixed with Trap beats drew me too this record but their union here sparks nothing special, nor does it sound out of place. Its a short and solid record but nothing to get worked up about, just a chilled record for a certain mood.

Favorite Track: Token

Rating: 6/10

School Of Seven Bells "SVIIB" (2016)

In the mood for something a little more upbeat and poppy I found my way to the "School of Seven Bells" fourth and final record. This NYC based Dream Pop trio consist of twin sisters Claudia and Alejandra who grace us with their voices as well as handling keyboards and guitars, alongside them multi instrumentalist Benjamin Curtis who sadly passed away in 2013. The record was mostly written in 2012 before Benjamin's death and revolves around how the group first met. To what extent it was "finished" with his involvement is unknown to me, however its irrelevant considering this the first of theirs I have listened to.

Opening up with a simple popping 4/4 beat and a breathy, wordless vocal hook the album quickly establishes its tone with bright and simplistic musical arrangements. In the chorus two vocal lines harmonize and swim around one another while the strings, blinking synthesizers, distant guitars and bold pumping bass melt into a dreamy wall of sound. Its borders the Ethereal but no distinct sombre or dark tones are to be found. "SVIIB" is upbeat yet sleepy, its bright energy slightly contained behind a slower, measured pace. Each song brings a different twist to a very settled sound, most of the creative variety focuses around vocal hooks and delivery between a rather stale verse chorus structure. The band conjure some great arrangements drifting towards ambience and ranging up to epic climatic poppy moments with layered synths and fuzzy, energetic guitars crashing into the fold, usually with a few shimmering melodic notes above the golden haze. 

Given the records setting and history the lyrical context probably plays an important role however, as I often am with words, they went in one ear and out the other. Their voices however are soft and easy on the ears, the entire sound of the record is lush, easily indulgent and full of dreamy reverbs finely mixed in a glossy sound. Where the record falters is at its core, the simplistic and poppy nature leaves much to be desired musically. Just after a couple of listens the songs feel a little worn as it doesn't take long to pick up the compositions which are generally short and played out through verse chorus structures. There's no progression in mood, structure or even melody, rarely even a repeated segment undergoing a key shift or additional instrumentation. However these are complaints of preference.

The album does wrap up with its better songs, "Confusion" breaking into a deep peaceful atmosphere, very reminiscent of the soothing ambience in Julee Cruise's "Floating Into The Night". Following is a rather atypical track, however its execution and charm a lot stronger than the rest of the record. The chorus has a memorable synth lead that soars and shimmers in the fading reverb. Great moment but unfortunately this record was a little sparse of substance which became apparent after just a handful of listens through.

Favorite Tracks: Confusion, This Is Our Time

Rating: 5/10

Slowdive "Blue Day" (1992)

Digging into the wealth of knowledge the Internet has to offer, I found my way into the pre-Britpop Dream Pop / Shoegazing scene of now somewhat forgotten bands that had their moment in the early nineties. Slowdive's "Blue Day" had a familiarity and touch of Ethereal that sucked me in to this short, breezy dream of a record. Like a fair few bands of this scene their time was short lived, forming in 89 and disbanding in 95 however they have recently reformed with no new material. This record is a compilation of three EPs released before their debut in 91 and it doesn't feel like one. In fact the production and theme of the record is very consistent across the six tracks.

In many moments, they are most reminiscent of Lycia's dark, baron and freezing sound, however Slowdive have a warmth exuding through the soft, sleepy wall of sound that engrosses the listener. The guitars shimmer in the distance, illuminated through odd, layered guitar effects and distortions that despite seeming harsh in an analytical sense, are inviting, soft and hazy as they drift through their own web of reverb and echo in a mesmerizing persuasion. A warm and thick baseline holds a steady progression under the atmospheric soundscape and the drums work up some energetic beats that get displaced in the best of ways under a wall of sleepy noise. They are buried and muted to great effect. With two vocalists there are some double tracked moments where the duos excellent chemistry comes across almost as a singular voice soaked in reverb. The two both have a soft lucidity that gives a very welcoming human touch to the music. Underneath it all some low, foggy synths brood and moan, soaking into the dense atmosphere with a powerful subtly.

For all that's fair this record suffers a little from its production, which on the flip side is a massive part of the positives in the bands sound. In all the haze and drone the clarity of most instruments feels a little lost and is without some oomph to reinforce itself. The mix is narrow as only the snare and hi hat breaks into a large portion of the high frequency ranges, it can be felt at all times. This could all be for the best though, this record has some fantastic moments with vast reverbs growing into an engrossing wall of sound that almost losses itself. "Shine" reminds me fondly of Autumn's Grey Solace and a few track are a touch mediocre but there is magic hear to loose yourself in here.

Favorite Track: Morningrise, She Calls, Shine

Rating: 6/10

Deafheaven "New Bermuda" (2015)

American Black Metal or "Blackgaze" outfit Deafheaven from San-Fransisco have been both critically acclaimed and at the center of hate fueled controversy with Black Metal elitists and keyboard warriors of the web who believe the bands music taints the supposedly puritanical nature of Black Metal. Jokes aside I never find myself offended by music, which is what many comments, articles and online ramblings would suggest fans of traditional BM are when it comes to this band. Their breakout record "Sunbather" in 2013 was one I cared little for and despite its praise I found myself somewhat puzzled to what the "magic" was, however this time around its hit me like a firm slap across the face. I don't care much for the debate as to if this band is "true" or not, I came here to enjoy some filthy dark music.

The bands sound is somewhat deceptive, harsh, threatening screams penetrate the pummeling, rattling blast beats and menacing guitars that glaze through darkness at a racing speeds. In the bleak, cold and unforgiving sound there is a sense of something warmer that steadily emerges with each passing phase of the song, blossoming into a gorgeous Post-Metal soundscape of transcending serenity. This was my experience of the first song. In breaking it down I felt a lot was to be learned about what makes this record tick and much of the same can be said for the following four songs that make up the record.

Aesthetically the relentless drumming, dark distortion tone and vocalist Clarke's sharp, sinister screams create a harrowing black accent but the guitar work transforms them with Shoegaze and Post-Metal / Post-Rock ideas, techniques and song structures. They create quite the enigmatic experience as the dark and light are held in a unique, original balance. They toy between one another, stretching, elasticizing as songs themes move back and forth in a singular progressive motion. Not all the songs move on the same path. "Baby Blue" starts with acoustic guitars, shadowy blues in color and cuts rather immediately into its dark counterpart. I especially like the mysterious synth at the end with a woman making an announcement about the George Washington bridge. Its eerie and unsettling, seemingly because the message shouldn't be? Its odd and I like it.

The record sounds fantastic, the guitar tones are especially dense, magnetic and immersive. My only quarrel were the vocals, although fitting and powerful, the cut like a knife and never let up, sometimes it felt a little much with a singular delivery style. The five songs have zero filler and take us on a unique journey that fades out with a satisfying melodic climax. The heart of this music is traditional Black Metal and I see how it gets some fans up in arms but that attitude of elitism and "true" is only holding a listener back from an expanded experience. A stunning record which I've barely put down in recent days.

Rating: 9/10

Godspeed You! Black Emperor "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven" (2000)

Here's a record that's been in my rotation for a couple of years now. Hailed as a masterpiece and a classic I've failed to connect with whatever it is other people see in this album. "Lift Your Skinny Fists..." comprises of four lengthy 20 minute songs that entomb Shoegazing Post-Rock numbers inside a vault of murmuring drones and cascading ambiance. As I touched on in my post of "Celestite", such musical works can be a hit or miss even based on the tiniest of discrepancies but in this records case most of the choices in droning distortion guitars and gentle ambiances that grew and shrunk in-between where a turn off. In its quieter, brooding moments I felt little emotion or connection and in its big and dramatic, soaring guitar led Post-Rock drones I felt very little.

Its hard to describe a lack of connection or emotion, or to even pin point why but if somethings are not doing it for you its even harder when the more approachable content is hidden between lengthy intervals of dark, lengthy ambiance and dull drones. Despite my lack of captivation some moments show a sense of theme developing which come with some nice tempo changes that unfold. "Deathkamp Drone" was the most enjoyable piece from the albums fourth track but lost at the end of a ninety minute record it wasn't often I made it that far through. I gave it my time, I do wonder if its age and the context of that time makes it more remarkable but even so this record just wasn't for me.

Rating: 2/10

Fen "Dustwalker" (2013)

English Black Metal band Fen are a group who captivated my interest with their debut "The Malediction Fields" in 2009. Their sound stood them apart from other bands in the genre by incorporating some Post-Rock elements that gave them a range and diversity that was intriguing and progressive. The bands songs could span a range of moods and incorporate many heavy, or light and melodic moments with effortless fluency. Their sound is charactered by a strong theme of nature, the kind of cold unforgiving beauty the natural world can be without the comforts of the modern age. I saw this band live last year and was, to my surprise, rather disappointed, feeling their live show didn't capture what their recordings did.

Dustwalker failed to grab my attention at first. It wasn't until multiple listens later that I became more engaged with this record, what initially disappointed me is still quite apparent, it is fitting for the right mood, but in the wrong environment the music alone doesn't quite have the spark to captivate my attention. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between your own enjoyment of art, or the art itself. Maybe there is only the first, but on a long walk in the cold dark of night could this music reveal itself.

Rough around the edges, the albums production is straight forward and unpolished giving it a natural character, not low fidelity, but far from perfection. This plays great in melodic moments that get a hazy distortion from the instruments sharing the space together. The production sets the tone for this record that explores varied themes in long songs that progress through a dynamic range of heavy and melodic moments that are quite awe inspiring in the right mood. The vocals deliver an honest performance with clean leads that bleed the human element into these cold songs. Theres a few golden moments here and there but overall the songs do dull a little as they continually progress through mediocrity. Theres nothing terribly bad happening here, but it just falls short overall.

Favorite Tracks: Spectre, Reflections

Rating: 4/10