Hailing from the Fraser River Valley, east of the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, is Western Jaguar, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. Skillfully blending indie rock, dream pop and shoegaze, he writes songs exploring common themes of life, love, emotional well-being and loss, expressed through poetic, relatable lyrics which he delivers with pleasing low-key vocals. I’ve been following him for nearly six years, and have featured him and his music three times on this blog, most recently in July 2023 when I reviewed his beautiful album Oblivion. Two of his songs, “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart.
Trainor formed Western Jaguar in 2012, and since 2013 has released two EPs and four albums as both a solo artist and a band made up of an evolving lineup of musicians. His most recent album, released March 1st, was Ranges: 2013-2023, a sort of greatest hits album containing ten tracks Trainor describes as “a quintessential crash course of the first ten years of Western Jaguar.” Now he’s back with a terrific new single “Repossess“, which will be included on his forthcoming album Vacationland. For the recording of the track, he sang vocals and played guitars, bass, synths and percussion, and fellow musician Ted Kim played drums. Trainor produced and mixed the track, while Ryan Niklas handled mastering.
About “Repossess”, Trainor says it’s “about growing up and the struggles that go along with the pressures of being an adult. It reflects on losing the joys and carefree nature of adolescence, while also bemoaning the constant weight, and pressure adulthood provides. In the end, we all want someone to walk along side us in this life; someone to help “repossess” the joy we once had and lost.”
Musically, the song serves up the signature mellow shoegaze vibes we’ve come to love and expect from Western Jaguar. His intricate guitar work is lovely, with a colorful mix of shimmery strummed notes and edgier riffs layered over a gentle, pulsating bassline and accompanied by Kim’s spirited drums that nicely complement the other instruments without overpowering them. As always, Trainor’s earnest vocals exude a heartfelt vulnerability that’s quite endearing as he laments “Feeling like a jerk in a tropical shell. I can’t keep throwing back pill after pill. I’m swimming to a future, but drowning in my past. I just want to prove that I can make it last.”
This release also includes the brief, one-minute-long track “The Brightest Ray Of Darkness”, which is loosely based on the novel A Bright Ray Of Darkness by Ethan Hawke. Trainor says the song “is a quick foray into the mind of someone who’s head is spinning due to their world falling apart all around them.“
Today I’m pleased to present Silent Mass, an ethereal goth band based in Brooklyn, New York. Silent Mass originally began as a solo act in Los Angeles by singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music photographer Ammo Bankoff. Her debut single “Total Recall”, a cover of the song by English 80s post-punk band The Sound, was released in 2020 by L.A.-based record label Dune Altar as part of the charity compilation album Do You Feel That Way Too? A Tribute to Adrian Borland & The Sound (Adrian Borland, the frontman of The Sound who suffered from schizoaffective disorder and severe depression, committed suicide in 1999). Shortly afterward, Bankoff teamed up with audio engineer and guitarist Robert Duncan, and the two of them relocated to New York, where they were soon joined by drummer and producer Alex Posell, turning Silent Mass into a three-piece band.
Their music is a captivating blend of post-punk, ethereal wave, shoegaze, goth and 90s alternative, influenced by such acts as The Cranberries, Chelsea Wolfe, Cranes, Beach House, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance and Enya. They liken their sound to “chilling in a misty vale, listening to Enya, sipping red wine, while a raven in the distance caws your name.” After listening to their songs, I say that sounds about right!
They released their debut single “Rose + Crown” in June 2021, which they followed that December with “A Cold War City”. After a two-year lull, they started releasing singles again this past March, beginning with “Land of Heart’s Desire”, followed a month later with “Nest of Flowers”. Today they drop “The Great Chaos“, the third and title track from their forthcoming debut album The Great Chaos, due for release on June 20th, which also happens to be the Summer Solstice.
Written by Bankoff, the track was mixed by Robert Duncan IV at Mourning Sun Records and mastered by Allene Norton. About “The Great Chaos”, Bankoff states it “finds beauty in the spiral of self-discovery. It’s a love song about mourning a version of your past self.” Musically, the song is moody and dark yet strangely beautiful, with haunting and lush orchestral synths overlain by an arresting combination of gorgeous chiming and shimmery guitar notes, accompanied by enchanting tribal drumbeats that add wonderful texture to the track. Bankoff’s ethereal droning vocals accentuate the track’s overall mysterious vibe as she ponders “Can you find a way out? Can you find a way out of this nightmare?” It’s a marvelous song.
And here’s the album on Bandcamp, with all five of the singles released thus far available for streaming:
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.
Photo of the guys drinking the blue Kool Aid by Anthony Biondi
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:
Toronto, Canada-based Loveproof is a collaborative music project formed in 2013 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ciaran Megahey and multi-instrumentalist & producer Brendan McGarvey. The two originally met in high school and formed a short-lived band, but eventually went their own ways. Ciaran is also a member of Canadian indie band The Autumn Stones (whose music I previously featured on this blog in 2016 and 2018).
After reconnecting in 2013, they began writing songs inspired by their shared love of bands like Joy Division, Guided by Voices and My Bloody Valentine, and soon had a collection of dark and fascinating songs on their hands. Describing their sound as “dreamy, dubby doom pop,” the duo named their project Loveproof, in honor of the My Bloody Valentine classic “Loveless.” In December, 2017, they released their debut album Neon Blood, Volume One, which I reviewed the following March. My, how time does fly by!
The duo then decided to assemble a full band so they could perform their songs in front of live audiences, enlisting Brendan’s brother Chris McGarvey on guitar and Joey Proulx on drums. In January 2020, they released a New Order-esque re-imagining of the Joy Division classic song “Wilderness”. Now they’re back with a new EP Winter’s Children, their first release of new original music in six years.
After listening to the EP, I can state that it was well worth the wait. Combining elements of dream pop, indie rock, and dub with a dark gothic sensibility, Loveproof have crafted four utterly captivating songs. For their recording, Ciaran sang vocals and Brendan played and programmed all instruments. I love Ciaran’s sensuous vocal style that reminds me at times of Bryan Ferry, so it’s a treat hearing him sing again.
The EP opens with “A Song is Not Enough“, a bewitching track that channels the best of Joy Division and Depeche Mode. I love Brendan’s mysterious dreamy synths and sharp percussive notes built over a sensuous pulsating beat, accompanied by Ciaran’s ethereal sultry vocals as he softly croons “A song is not enough to break this spell.“
Equally bewitching is “Spires“, a glorious chillwave gem with icy synths layered over a sensuous bass-driven dub groove, and punctuated by emphatic percussive beats. Ciaran’s breathy croons are enchanting as he sings from the perspective of someone grasping for something solid to hold on to amid all the chaos and uncertainty. “In a world full of darkness, you said ‘the truth is coming’, and you howled to the mountains and you tore their lies asunder. With time, with faith, your spires to the heavens shine, and love will light our way.” The beautiful video created for the track features images of Loveproof performing the song interspersed with scenes of Toronto and various animals in their natural settings.
On the enchanting but bittersweet “Even the Stars“, Ciaran softly laments over a lost love: “Come back to me, Scarlet Rose / Everything good dies here, even the stars.” A highlight of this track for me are Brendan’s beautiful chiming guitar notes.
The final track “Young Lords” addresses the political polarization of modern society. Ciaran elaborates: “Not really making any political judgments, but just noticing the religious character of people’s political identities today. The phrase ‘Young Lords’ is actually the name of a far left organization that I believe still exists today. I’m just using it as a metaphor for political militancy/extremism though. I read a book that mentioned them a long time ago and I remember really liking the name, as it sounds really poetic. I don’t really know much about them specifically though. So, I guess I am just lamenting how that polarization seems to have made it difficult for people to see each other’s humanity. It seems to have coarsened public life.” “Young lords colliding. Used to be a mountain, used to be a king, hungry as a lion’s heart. Used to be a master, used to hear you sing, thundering the soul apart. Goodnight my heart, goodnight my love.” I’m sounding like a broken record as I continually use the word ‘sensuous’, but the track’s languid dub groove is overflowing with it, enhanced by Brendan’s lush, moody synths and throbbing bass.
Although its four tracks are decidedly melancholy, with less than happy subject matter, Winter’s Children is nevertheless a stunning and flawlessly-crafted work that makes for an enjoyable listen. If you’re a fan of 80s-inspired darkwave and electro-pop, as well as ethereal sultry vocals, you will like this EP. It’s good to have Loveproof back!
Named after his childhood imaginary friend, Eleanor Collides is the solo music project of London-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Nick Ranga. The talented artist melds alternative, indie and dream rock with synth pop to create his distinctly melancholic, yet beautiful sound. I love how he’s described his influences: “I find inspiration in the cathartic vulnerability of Low, the poetic storytelling of R.E.M., the passionate anthems of Manic Street Preachers, the genre-defying artistry of Orville Peck, and the darkly captivating electronica of Depeche Mode. These influences, among many others, have shaped my artistic vision, allowing me to carve out a unique sonic identity.”
Though he’d been writing songs for many years, he finally started recording and releasing music in the summer of 2021, beginning with a four-track EP How to Make Friends. He followed up with a couple of singles, then in March 2022, he released his debut album People are Taller in Real Life. Since then, the prolific artist has dropped eight more singles, one of which, the hauntingly beautiful “Pantomime“, I featured in a Fresh New Tracks this past April. Today he’s back with his latest single “Daydreams and Algorithms“, another outstanding track. All eight singles will be included in his forthcoming second album, due for release later in the year.
For the recording of the song, Nick sang lead vocals and played guitars, bass, piano, drums and strings, and Charles Connolly, who mixed and mastered the track, played marimba and sang backing vocals. Though “Daydreams and Algorithms” starts off slowly, with just a simple, rather melancholic strummed guitar, it soon becomes clear that there’s a lot going on musically. As the song progresses, the instrumentation expands into a captivating soundscape, with added guitar, piano and warm strings, accompanied by Charles’ enchanting marimba and Nick’s steady drumbeats and moody bassline. Nick’s pleasing, low-key vocals have a comforting, almost sensuous quality, nicely complemented by his and Charles’ ethereal backing harmonies. It’s a stunning song.
As to the song’s meaning, Nick says it’s “about longing and obsession in the age of social media, about falling in love with someone through a screen who may or may not be real.”
I can hear the sound of dreams The cigarettes and faded blue jeans The photographs and played back scenes Never knowing what they mean
I can see your days collide The indecision codified The fantasies and rising tide History happens in real time
ooh ooh ooh
You could be my daydream My landslide, my slipstream My devil chasing moonbeams Intention lost to the mainstream
I could be your joyride Your agent on the outside Your lowest low and highest tide Watch as I revert to type
Martin Saint is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Montreal. Active in the local music scene for many years, he’s also currently the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Montreal-based alt-rock band The Ember Glows. He’s released a fair amount of music as a solo artist, including a spoken word EP Fly Tales in 2019, an album One Word Away in January 2020, an EP Last New Year’s Eve in March 2021, and this past November, he dropped an excellent cover of Leonard Cohen’s song “The Law”, which I featured in a Fresh New Tracks post. Now he returns with his second album Radio Murmurs, featuring eight exquisite tracks, most of which deal with various aspects of love, relationships lost, and emotional well-being.
About the album, Martin explains “This new collection emerged during the pandemic with the specific intention to produce a full-length album. The goal was to achieve a result similar to David Bowie’s ‘Low’ album, with half the record featuring more accessible pop hooks and the other half more atmospheric and texture-driven. As always, lyrics aim at standing for themselves outside the music, as a major cornerstone of the ensemble. Glimmers of Nick Cave, Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Simple Minds and The Doors infuse most of my work and ‘Radio Murmurs’ displays these references a little at a time.”
For the album’s recording, Martin enlisted the help of several musicians and vocalists, including fellow The Ember Glows members Richard Bunze, Kevin Hills and Dan Stefik on a couple tracks, Guillaume Thoreau, who played Mini-Moog on “Scenes from Cars”, singer-songwriter Ursa Minor for the duet on “I’ll Be Your Stranger”, Delphine Dupont for backing vocals on “No Hard Feelings” and Sarah Emilie for backing vocals on “Last Lights” and “No Hard Feelings”.
There’s a lot to like on Radio Murmurs, particularly the darkly beautiful and mysterious aura of many tracks, lush arrangements, outstanding instrumentation – especially the gorgeous chiming and jangly guitar work, and Martin’s poetic lyrics. The album kicks off with the splendid “In the Universe“, a stunning song highlighted by the aforementioned chiming guitars and affecting piano keys. Martin’s smooth vocals, which remind me at times of the late, great Scott Walker, are pleasing as he plaintively asks a friend for their love, comfort and support: “Will you sit by my side, and be the last face I see. Will you run and hide when the gods take back what they’ve lent me?“
On the lovely duet “I’ll Be Your Stranger” with Ursa Minor, Martin sings of the loneliness and ennui he (and many of us) experienced during the Covid lockdowns, hungry for love, empathy and companionship: “Exiled at home in digital solitude. Time is crawling and I swing from mood to mood. When all that I want is to hide naked in bed./ I’ll be your kind stranger. Passing by for a minute or more. The one you won’t need a mask for.” Ursa Minor’s ethereal vocals both contrast and complement Martin’s quite nicely.
“Last Lights” is an outlier, thematically, with lyrics addressing historic socio-political strife and the rise and fall of authoritarian regimes: “Invaders’ songs fill the old streets. Join The Party, march to the beat. Smokestack steel fuels the strife. Sad Slavic eyes bound for exile. And nations rise from relic. Nations fall brick by brick.” Musically, the track has a mesmerizing synth-driven groove reminiscent of some of Depeche Mode’s songs. I’m not sure what “Wet Road” is about, though its lyrics speak of driving in the rain at night with a loved one, with mention of the album’s title: “Exits fly by, mile by mile. The engine purrs. Over our silence, the radio murmurs. In the soft rain, the velvet night is rocking me. In her foggy bliss she cradles me.” I really like its mysterious vibe, highlighted by sharp, eerie synths, sparkling piano keys and deep bassline.
“The Double” is a great tune, with an arresting toe-tapping beat accompanied by a throbbing bass groove, otherworldly synths and delicate jangly guitars that are simply fantastic. Martin’s doesn’t have a strong voice, but his vocals sound particularly good on this track. “No Hard Feelings” is one of my favorite tracks on the album, with an opening strummed guitar lick that immediately reminded me of Oasis’ great classic “Wonderwall”. The lyrics speak of a couple in the final throes of a relationship that’s over, saying their last goodbyes to one another without acrimony: “Happy rest of the road is what you meant to say, I saw it in your smile. No binding words to relive old days, this is our last mile. We can try but we all know it’s not the same. But no hard feelings.”
“Wide Open” has a strong Simple Minds feel, as the song has shades of their song “Alive & Kicking”. Kevin Hills provides some great fuzzy bass on this track The lyrics are directed toward someone who’s fallen far down and letting them know that, despite their self-destructive behavior, your door is still open if they need a friend: “How low have you now sunken, friendless, broke and broken? What are you now reaping that you have long been sowing? Where have we watched you take your long road to perdition? When did your last mistake become your next decision?“
Martin saves the best for last, as the stylish and sultry “Scenes from Cars” is my favorite track on the album. The song’s captivating music is courtesy of a fake pedal-steel sound by Dan Stefik’s guitar and Mini-Moog synths played by Guillaume Thoreau. Martin’s smooth croons have an ethereal sultry feel as he touches on various romantic and non-romantic scenarios between people while driving in cars: “Sunday morning drive. A family of five or a weekend dad and child. Backseat in the dark. A teenage hand pushed hard. Love is still a bridge too far. Predator and prey roam lost highways or city streets today./ Lovers in a car. A loner in a car.” It’s a superb ending to a very fine album.
I love dream pop with an alternative bent, and the music of singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Darksoft fits the bill quite nicely (and his first name also happens to be Bill!). Originally from Seattle, where he was active in the local music scene both as a solo artist and a collaborator with other musicians, he relocated in late 2021 clear across the country to Portland, Maine. Deftly blending elements of dream pop, shoegaze and alternative rock, he creates music that’s both sumptuous and pleasing. His compelling lyrics, addressing timely and relevant issues related to technology, social media and disillusionment, are delivered with his enchanting and soothing ethereal vocals. The imaginative, talented and creative artist has released four concept albums thus far, the latest of which is Beigeification.
I previously featured him and his music three times on this blog in 2019, first when I reviewed his brilliant debut album Brain, a concept work named for the very first computer virus to attack the internet back in 1986, with each track titled after infamous viruses that followed. I later reviewed two singles, “WannaCry”, which addressed the deep cultural and political divide in America, fed by our tendency to stay stuck in our own echo chambers, and “Cybersecurity“, which questioned whether all our data floating around out there in cyberspace was somehow being kept safe. (You can read those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) He followed with Meltdown (which includes the two aforementioned singles) in 2020, then Cryo in early 2022. They’re all excellent albums, but Beigeification is my favorite of them all.
Released on January 13th via Darksoft’s own label Look Up Records, Beigeification was produced and recorded entirely by him, mixed by Brian Fisher (Hibou, Éclo, Eastern Souvenirs), and mastered by Stefan Mac (Cold War Kids, No Vacation, Sea Lemon). He describes the album as “a postmodern dose of beigey moods and pastel phrases to match the disillusionment of our age.” For the album cover, he decided to use only a single beige color. He further elaborated in an Instagram post on his thoughts and inspiration for creating the album:
“When producing an album, I find that having a consistent theme is really helpful to inform the overall sound, lyrics, progressions, melodies, and instrumentation. For lyrics, I’m using a lot of ‘thought-terminating cliches’. These annoying, overused phrases and idioms have the effect of ending a conversation, because they are vague, universal truths. What’s also interesting is that grammatically they say absolutely nothing but they carry a lot of weight in context. Examples are ‘it is what it is’, ‘you gotta do what you gotta do’, ‘win some lose some’, ‘only time will tell’ and ‘to each their own‘.
This theme has been fun to play with, and I think fits the general attitude after watching the world over the past few years. I don’t want to encourage inaction, but when so much negativity piles up, it’s like ‘whaddya gonna do?’ To stay sane and functional as a digital being, you sort of have to accept that an endless barrage of bad news will always be at your fingertips, and then focus on what matters to you. Also, remember when everything got beigeified? Perhaps your parents painted the walls beige to increase the ‘resell value’ of their home (even if they weren’t selling it). Or think of Carmela Soprano’s Etruscan-themed living room, or how beige was used for conformity reasons on workplace PCs for most of the 20th century. I want these songs on Beigeification to carry nothing too heavy, say something without saying anything, and sit in the background of everyday life, like how sand fits around your toes at the beach, passive like the color beige, and worn-out like these idioms.
Every song on Beigeification uses only one chord progression over and over! I was trying to simplify with less is more. I realized I could just add or remove layers to change the vibe. Or change the playing/strumming slightly or use different chord inversions. This approach keeps things cohesive and was totally different from how I used to write, which was different chord progressions from section to section. It’s more carefree. It is what it is.“
The album contains nine wonderful tracks, starting with “It Is What It Is“, which was also released as the first single. The song has a fun, bouncy vibe, highlighted by Darksoft’s beautiful jangly guitar notes and breathy vocals singing the cliche lyrics he alluded to above: “Say what you will. When you know you just know. All’s well that ends well. What goes around comes around.” The charming video for the song, showing him barefoot and dressed all in white, doing a simple dance move in front of empty, nondescript office parks around Portland, Maine, was filmed on VHS recording equipment, giving it a vintage lo-fi quality.
“Only Time Will Tell” has an 80s new wave sound that calls to mind some of the music of Joy Division, New Order and The Cure, but with a modern twist. I love the lush jangly and chiming guitars and snappy percussion, and Darksoft’s silky vocals are both comforting and sensuous. The lyrics speak of being patient and taking things slowly and deliberately, aware that ‘good things come to those who wait’: “You got to learn to walk before you learn to run. Everything will come to the one that waits. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Only time will tell.”
Next up is the languid “You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do“, a song so beautiful and soothing that I’m now besotted with this album. Once again, Darksoft’s guitar work is gorgeous, as are the sparkling synths and gentle percussion, and his layered breathy vocals are sublime. The way he strings together so many trite cliche sayings into something beautiful and compelling is quite clever: “You gotta do what you gotta do. You gotta be who you gotta be. Do or don’t, live or die. You never know until you try.” The beautiful video, directed by Brett Davis Jr. and filmed by Gerald Davis, shows Darksoft singing the song at Two Lights State Park and Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
The great songs keep coming. “Win Some Lose Some” is a return to the breezy new wave vibe we heard on “Only Time Will Tell”, which nicely serves to reinforce the ‘c’est la vie’ sense of resignation over life’s hiccups that Darksoft is getting at on the album – “Reap what you sow. Take what ya get. Better luck next time. Win some lose some. Win some lose others. If it’s not one thing then it’s another.” “Whatever It Takes” has a lively, toe-tapping beat, neat fuzzy guitars and colorful synths, and, as always, beautifully-layered sensuous vocals.
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but my gosh, “Stones Unturned” is so gorgeous I can barely contain myself. Darksoft’s delicate jangly guitar work is stunning, accompanied by ambient sounds of a distant thundershower and beautiful swirling synths. His comforting ethereal vocals have been electronically altered in spots, giving them a fuzzy, otherworldly feel. The lyrics seem to be about – to use yet another cliche expression – ‘letting sleeping dogs lie’: “Some stones are best left, left unturned. Some words are better left unheard. Somethings you don’t need to see. Some views look better from dreams. Sometimes the road less traveled is leading nowhere.”
A fantastic dominant bassline takes center stage on “There’s Always Something Going On“, a song about how there will always be some unpleasant issue or problem to deal with in life: “There’s only so much I can do. There’s always something left undone. Even after we’re all dead and gone. There will be something going wrong.” And on the peppy “Fast Lane“, Darksoft sings of the perils of living recklessly: “It’s a short way down, but a long way back. Take a shortcut in the fast lane and you just might crash.” The album closes with “Such Is Life“, a pleasing song of resignation that sometimes shit happens in life, and we just have to accept it and do the best we can as we move on: “Such is life. Guess that’s the way it’s gonna be. C’est la vie.”
I don’t know what more I can write about Beigeification that I haven’t already gushed about, other than to say that I think it’s one of the best albums of 2023 so far. I love it so much I bought my own copy on Bandcamp, and so should you!
VAZUM is a deathgaze duo from Detroit, Michigan, consisting of Zach Pliska (vocals/guitar/drums) and Emily Sturm (vocals/bass). Combining elements of deathrock, goth, post-punk and shoegaze, they create their signature dark, haunting and melodic sound that sounds vaguely familiar, yet totally unlike anyone else I’ve heard. Since forming in 2017, the highly imaginative and prolific duo have released an impressive four albums, three EPs and nearly a dozen singles, all of which they produce, record, engineer and mix independently at their own Light Echo Studios.
I’ve followed VAZUM for over a year, and am finally featuring them on this blog on the occasion of the release of their latest single “Double Stellium“. Stellium is an astrological term that refers to when someone has at least three planets in one zodiac sign or house in their birth chart. Having a double stellium can be very intense with a lot of energy focused in specific areas. Both Zach and Emily have double stelliums in their astrological charts, hence the song’s theme and title.
The song blasts open with a jarring onslaught of shredded psychedelic guitars and explosive pummeling percussion, then settles into an eerily beautiful and melodic soundscape of industrial synths, those shredded guitars ever-present in the background. Halfway through, the music returns to the same intensity we heard at the beginning, before quickly calming back down, only to rev back up at the end for a final bombastic flourish. Zach and Emily’s echoed droning vocal harmonies are perfectly suited to the goth-flavored instrumentals, nicely enhancing the song’s overall haunting feel.
The lyrics are probably open to interpretation, but my take is that they speak to loving those close to us and living life to the fullest in the here and now, given the eventual certainty of death.
Soon it will claim us all Drained, pale porcelain dolls Swept in a sanguine pulse Dark dreams, nothing else Doesn’t really matter who we were All that really matters
I’ll lie here with you till nightfall I’ll bleed here in you till nightfall I’ll lie here with you There’s no end I’ll bleed here in you There’s no end
VAZUM also created and produced the trippy video for the track.
PORTS is a talented four-piece based in Derry, Northern Ireland who formed in 2012 while at music college. Influenced by such acts as Phosphorescent, Big Thief, Andy Shauf, Aldous Harding and Stars of the Lid, their music is an incredibly pleasing blend of folk, indie rock and shoegaze. They released their beautiful debut single “Ancient Wave” in 2014, then followed with several more singles which culminated in the release in 2016 of their album The Devil is a Songbird, featuring 13 stunning tracks. It’s really outstanding, and I strongly encourage my readers to check it out.
The guys then toured extensively throughout the UK, the US, Canada and Australia in support of the album, garnering play and live performances on numerous BBC radio channels and MTV, which earned them a strong following. Additionally, eight of the songs from their album have been used in a number of TV shows, including Teen Wolf, Bloodlands, Awkward, Wild Ireland and Love in a Day. Collectively, their songs have been streamed more than 3.2 million times on Spotify alone.
The band took a brief hiatus after touring, then began writing and recording songs again in early 2020, before Covid brought things to a halt. Nevertheless, they managed to drop another lovely single “Reading in the Dark” in August 2020, and once restrictions against gathering together were lifted, they continued with writing and recording songs for their forthcoming second album Wild Awake, replacing some of those they’d previously written with new ones. The songs on the new album will feature a mix of folk rock, Cajun, and electronic lo-fi shoegaze soundscapes. One of the tracks to be included on the new album is “Swimming Pool“.
Band member Steven McCool explains their inspiration behind the song: “During our short hiatus, we didn’t know what we wanted from the band. We had some discussions on what direction to go and what sound we should create, but it became frustrating. When we decided to start writing again we decided we’d stop overthinking and just write. We were just messing about between takes and ‘Swimming Pool’ started to take form. The music and melody fell together within minutes, so we decided to record it. We were using a new lyric writing technique, where we would imagine a scene. So I said I can see someone diving into a swimming pool at night in slow motion. The song ultimately became a metaphor for our emotions, if you fight them they become harder to manoeuvre. So, like swimming you just go with it and it gets easier the more relaxed you are.”
The song is beautiful, with a serene, contemplative vibe that nicely conveys the feeling of someone slowly gliding through the waters of a swimming pool. PORTS creates this enchanting soundscape through the use of a lush array of instruments, including what sounds like cello and mellotron, along with lovely piano keys, gently strummed acoustic and twangy guitars, subtle bass and delicate drums. The warm, soothing vocals, who I’m guessing are Steven’s, perfectly complement the music.
When you held your breath til' the sun came down
Beneath the surface a muffled sound
When you can't make out the synthetic sea
Bead of air attempt to flee
Can't stop the overflow round your body
It's just a motion, these emotions
You can let it go, let it move on
It's just a motion, these emotionsYou sink back down and the picture slows
Projected chaos above you glows
The water breaks to reveal the sky
A road to take reflects in your eye
Can't stop the overflow round your body
It's just a motion, these emotions
You can let it go, let it move on
It's just a motion, these emotions
The beautiful video shows gauzy images of the band performing the song interspersed with those of a swimmer slowly gliding through the water, all filmed in a deep shade of blue.
From the moment I first heard their single “Old Man’s War” back in the spring of 2019, I’ve been a big fan of Texas alt-rock quartet Roadkeeper. Blending dreamy shoegaze and dramatic psychedelic rock with complex melodic structures, they craft lush soundscapes that are a perfect backdrop for their intelligent, socially conscious, sometimes political, and always thought-provoking lyrics. Formed in 2018, the band consists of songwriter/producer John Hetherington (vocals, synths, rhythm guitar), Trevor Tull (lead guitar), Nick Cogdill (drums) and Daniel Griffith (bass). All long-time friends, Roadkeeper is completely independent and self-produced, doing their recording, producing and mixing in John’s studio, and releasing their songs on their own label Equal Temperament.
I last featured Roadkeeper in January when I reviewed their magnificent single “Enemy Mine” (which spent more than four months on my Weekly Top 30). The song is a scathing attack on far-right white nationalist professional pundits who radicalize vulnerable young people by feeding them propaganda on social media and YouTube. Continuing in a similar vein, on June 24th, they dropped their 8th single “Take the L“, which addresses the ongoing immigrant and refugee crisis along the US/Mexico border, which has had an especially profound impact on Texas.
Written during the Trump administration and recorded in the Biden administration, the song shines a light on the fact this issue hasn’t gone away with the change in the White House. In an article in the webzine Clash, John explained “The song serves as an important reminder that the two major political parties in the US are just punting this issue back and forth to one another, so when is real change going to happen?“
Roadkeeper never fails to amaze me, and with “Take the L”, they once again deliver an exceptional single. The layered mix of psychedelic and shimmery guitars are gorgeous, backed by sparkling atmospheric synths and thumping rhythms, all creating a melodic and captivating backdrop for the powerful lyrics. John has a wonderful and mellifluous singing voice, and here his smooth vocals remind me at times of Mark Foster (of Foster the People) as he laments “Just take the L and go, so we both get our way. We’ll burn at both ends and say ‘Who started it anyway?’. All these stolen kids who die in their sleep don’t mean anything.”
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 