The Sylvia Platters are a wonderful band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and I love their music. Comprised of Alex Kerc-Murchison, Stephen Carl O’Shea, and brothers Nick and Tim Ubels, they play melodic jangle pop, infused with elements of alternative rock, indie, shoegaze and dream pop, and served up with stellar arrangements, exquisite instrumentation and Nick’s sublime vocals. While not at all retro, their pleasing sound nevertheless reminds me at times of such 90s bands as the Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket, with hints of 60s The Byrds.

From what I can tell, they’ve been putting out really fine music for about nine years, beginning with their 2015 debut album Make Glad the Day. Since then, they’ve released a second album Shadow Steps, in 2018, as well as numerous singles and three EPs, including the outstanding Live at Malibu Sound last year. If you like great jangle and power pop, I strongly recommend checking out at least some of their back music catalog.

Now the guys are back with a marvelous new single “Kool Aid Blue“, a tasty cup of jangle pop goodness. Released January 19th, the track was recorded and produced by Jordan Koop at The Noise Floor, Gabriola Island, BC, and mastered by Greg Mindorff at Suite Sound Labs in Vancouver. I know next to nothing about the mechanics of music, so can only do my best to describe what I hear.

First off, I really like the song’s fascinating melody that sounds more complex and unpredictable than a typical pop or rock song, which I find causes me to want to listen more carefully and closely. Second, I love the contrasting gnarly and jangly guitars, which makes for a richer, more dramatic soundscape. And what exceptional guitar work it is, those gorgeous jangly guitar notes sparkling like precious gems, accompanied by grungier notes soaked in glorious reverb. Of course, I have to call out the brilliant rhythm section of resounding bass and aggressive percussion that together drive the song forward so beautifully.

Nick’s vocals are warm and comforting as he sings the poetic, yet relatable, lyrics that seem to be about having uneasy feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty, and attempting to escape from them through alcohol, symbolized by Kool Aid blue.

Living in sequence
Gets a little uneven
Spin in a fixture
Alight as a stone

Alternative vision
A tragic hair decision
Read in the leaves
That all you need’s a missing page

Glimpse the ether
A mirror figure
It’s just a phase you can’t escape

A sinking feeling
Amber light; a dimmer view
But that sinking feeling
Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue

Slow motion sickness
Wasted in stasis
Another draft begins alone
With three sheets to the wind
You follow it home

A sequined ceiling
In the dark, a clearer view
And that sinking feeling
Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue

And that sinking feeling
Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue
Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue
Oo oo oo oo oo oo

The video was written and directed by Daniel Sparrow, filmed by Brendan Taylor, with additional photography by Daniel Sparrow and Alex Kerc-Murchison, and produced by Zone Pictures. It stars Junnicia Lagoutin, who’s shown in scenes with and without Nick Ubels, along with Jordan Hughes and the other band members.

And here’s the song on Bandcamp, along with a bonus “sugar free” instrumental version:

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Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube