Blind Spot - A Refreshing Sight

            This is my first review of 2016, and my 18th review of a release, here on Track-By-Track.

            This is a truly exciting opportunity, because it's the first major dream-pop/shoegaze band that's come out with a studio release since My Bloody Valentine's MBV.  Though Lush needs no introduction for fans of the scene that celebrates itself, it's worth noting that Lush defined a place for themselves with solid albums like Spooky, and a sound both reminiscent of, and divergent from Cocteau Twins.  They're required listening for dream-pop and shoegaze fans, and have a laid-back yet energetic sound.
            Blind Spot is a great comeback, and a solid display of classic imaginative music.  It's like visiting an old friend who, instead of reminiscing with you about past memories, grabs your arm and takes you along for new ones.  Whoever or whatever let Lush get back together, this blogger is in debt to you.
            Here's my TBT:

            The EP begins with "Out of Control", a marvelous song, and a miraculous return to form for Lush.  Their classic sound has somehow survived the 20 years between releases and the death of their original drummer Chris Acland.  Excellent production, deep bass, great drums, fitting and cool lyrics and vocals, and flanged-chorused guitars that sound... Well, lush (no pun intended).  You know that feeling when bands reform and it doesn't sound half as good?  You won't ever feel that during this EP.

            "Lost Boy", the second track, reminds me a bit of mid-phase Cocteau Twins, and early '00s David Bowie, with a spooky (pun partially intended) vibe.  Very wide guitars and vibrant strings take the cake on this one.  It sounds like what the lighter goth bands of the '90s could have turned into.  The chords remind me of Billy Corgan's leaked demo of "Identify."

             The third track, "Burnham Beaches" is upbeat, and has loads of airy atmosphere.  The chord changes are natural yet original, and horns and shimmering synths highlight great vocals.  With a catchy beat and guitars lower in the mix, it sounds like a song made years after the others.  The end is ecstatic, and sounds like the ending of an album.

            The final track of the EP, "Rosebud" is a surprise because it's slower, and more pensive than the other songs.  It's more lyric-focused, and thankfully, its lyrics vocals are worth highlighting.  It's likely the reason for the title of the EP.  It's like a fusion of the '60s, '90s, and alternative music made in the near future.  Expect to hear more songs like this from modern bands.

            Overall, Blind Spot is a fantastic return for one of the dream-pop mainstays of the '90s.  The word "refreshing" keeps popping up in my head during repeated listens, mainly because it's an EP that doesn't sound over-processed, by a band that didn't radically and unnecessarily change its sound, and hasn't watered down the melodic construction and lyrics of its music.  Will the vast majority of modern music start changing toward more experimental, honest music?  I'll let "Out of Control" answer: "Change has already begun."

You Know I'm Not Dead

Dear readers,

I thought I'd clear a few things up: I'm not dead, I'm not deaf, and I can't do reviews until I finish a thesis.  The tinnitus ended, the hearing-loss was mostly non-permanent, and the posts were interrupted by studying philosophy full time, for which I'm now trying to gain a master of arts degree (thesis writing is time-consuming).  I'll be back some time next year after I get that degree, but in the mean time, I feel the need to mention that I just released my debut EP Early today (info: https://www.facebook.com/danieltrainormckinnonmusic).

I don't have a review for this one.  I'll let you be the judge...

   Best, and looking forward to coming back next year,

     -Daniel Trainor-Mckinnon, Track-By-Track

Chance: Worth Taking

            This is a review of the EP Chance, by Australian artist Kigo, and the 17th review of a release, here on Track-By-Track.

            Well, mixtape month has come and gone, but I'm returning to my normal review style with a bang.  Australian artist Kigo (Solo artist D.P. Pearce) has been on my radar for a while, and with every new release (which tends to be nearly monthly), the sound gets even better.  Kigo definitely has a shoegaze sound, but interestingly, with digital and sampled-sounding drums, instead of the generally live-sounding drums most modern shoegaze artists have.
            A certain kind of sheer raw power comes through each track, to a degree that is incomparable to any band I can think of.  My Bloody Valentine is definitely an influence on Pearce's writing and performing, but mix-wise, Kigo stands alone.  And this is just part of a prolific, albeit young, career: Since February, Kigo has released 4 EPs, and a single with a b-side, amazingly, comprizing 20 songs.  Get ready for raw and amazing sound.
             Here's my TBT:

            Chance starts with "Dress", which in the beginning sounds like My Bloody Valentine's "She Found Now", leading into their "Soon".  The chord structure and style are very similar to "Soon", but the vocals and lead instrumentation show the differences.  The entire track is overdriven to the extreme, and the vocals are decimated out of understandability.  Loads of glide-guitar, over a drum sample or two, with bass and plenty of reverb and delays over most of the tracks.

            Then, coming out of seemingly nowhere related, the title track changes the whole trip.  Huge tremolo-affected guitar, a fast drum sample -- used slower before in Kigo's "Eyes so Bright (See the Spark)" -- and a great screeching feedback sound in the beginning are immediately noticable.  Vocals are once again obscured, mainly by eq, and not by distortion.  It's a fast song with loads of the energy that Kigo has had from the beginng, just with a slightly more-refined sound than the earlier releases, like Guilt and Closer (Hear My Voice).  It's a bit space-rock as well, like Duster's "Echo Bravo".

            "Leave Me Behind" is the third track.  The beauty of the sound is once again driven by the power, but it's a slower, more contemplative song than would be expected with the general guitar sound.  This is something I really like about shoegaze in general; artists can play powerful and huge-sounding guitar tracks, without actually playing abrasive songs.  Emotive synths show up in this one, drums are digital, and guitar is sublime.  The bass track is also more noticeable than usual, and it really drives the track into Debbie Googe territory.  Vocals are breathy and less-obscured than the previous two tracks, but still not clear enough to my ears to make out words.  The vocals in Pearce's songs are mostly equalized out of recognition, through hi-passing the base notes almost completely out, or emphasizing the higher frequencies.

            The last track is "When You Look", which again emphasizes synth and bass, and this time, vocals are even clearer.  The overall sound of the song is really warped and introspective, and it's a bit droney (genre, not boring by any means).  It's like if Spacemen 3 turned into a prog-rock band in the late '70s, but better than what that might sound like.  The only perceptable beat in the track is a soft bass kick, which might be just the bass's strings being touched, which makes it a bit more like the previous (and uncharacteristically slower) Kigo EP Some Other Place, which I also highly recommend.  The guitar, bass, and synth combination is dream-inducing, and the whole track is a fitting end.  For anything.  It feels like the end of an avant-garde movie, in one of the rare times the ending is satisfying and full of wonder.

            Overall, this is an amazing EP, and the sound of Kigo has loads to offer to the genre of shoegazing.  The raw power and soft emotion that comes through Chance is as genre-specific as it is unique.  Kigo will be coming out with an LP soon, and Pearce has also created a black-metal solo project (Afterwalker).  You can get this album (and all previous releases) for pay-what-you-want at: http://kigo.bandcamp.com/.  This is a Chance worth taking.

Eclectic and International: Imaginary Mixtape 2/3

            This is the 2nd imaginary mixtape on this blog.

            For this week's imaginary mixtape, I'm going to break with style a bit, and showcase some songs that don't fit in the genre I've been focusing on.  Next week, I'm delving back into the overarching shoegaze/alt-rock theme, but for this week, you can check out some great tunes from other styles.
            As usual, there are loads of great bands from all over the world, and many of them are largely undiscovered, so I hope this post helps, even if only a bit.  So get ready for another installment of the imaginary mixtapes, this time, from across borders, musically and physically.
            Here's my TBT:

            1. "Someone With My Face And My Name, But Not Me" by Portabot, from There Must Be A Sunrise In Every Ending (2009).

            This is a heavily ambient/shoegaze/psychedelic/microglitch/electroacoustic instrumental.  As you can see, it almost defies genre description, but fortunately, what it lacks in similarity to other songs, it makes up in what sounds like pure distorted sound created straight from the mind.  It starts out with a calming cinematic under-sampled melody, which sets up the almost 8 minutes to come, well.  There's harmony and dissonance at once, crushed through under-sampling distortion which gives it a kind of hypnotic and meditative effect.  Loops alter throughout, and the song changes face after the 3 minute mark, to eventually include what sounds like glasses being played musically, and synths overtop the ever-changing crushed sound.  It's hard to decide what the sounds actually are, but I'm guessing reversed acoustic guitar.  Needless to say, there aren't enough words (in English, at least) to accurately describe the sound without getting ridiculously technical, but I highly recommend it (and the entire There Must Be A Sunrise In Every Ending by Barcelona's own Portabot), especially in headphones, when you're in that space between waking and sleeping.  Portabot has since released a few newer songs available at the same link (http://portabot.bandcamp.com/)

            2. "With Our Eyes Closed" by Prevrat, from Symbols (2013).

            "With Our Eyes Closed" starts with a strange and modern analogue-sounding loop.  There are definitely dream-pop influences in the track, but it's mainly an indie-pop/synthpop track.  Vocals are fed through a soft vocoder, and loads of addictive synths, drum samples, and harmonies create a cold yet upbeat atmosphere.  "We walk through the world with our eyes closed" is an awesome lyric.  It also has a bit of a video-game sound to it, like some of Yoshito Hirano's and Yuka Tsuhiyoko's compositions.  There are some intricate compositions of notes in the track that transcend ordinary video-game music as well, and retain a kind of strange welcoming alternativeness.  (http://prevrat.bandcamp.com/)

            3. "Ophelia (among the flowers)" by What,Really? from s/t Promo 2013 (2013).

            To shake things up a bit, here's a power pop track from Italian band What,Really?.  "Ophelia (among the flowers)" begins with a bandpassed guitar, and then hits the mark with sharp drums, indie-rock-style guitar, and a great following bass.  Vocals fit so well in the sound What,Really? is going for, with nice harmonies, and an easy-going attitude, lyrically and tonally.  It's upbeat, and catchy like the Dickens.  There's a catchy energy like songs the Newglads release, Here There Anywhere Like You (which I reviewed earlier in the year), but it reaches the ears in a distinctly different way.  Once again, music from across the sea holds its own against the sea-like swarm of pop-rock/power pop bands from my own continent.  (http://whatreally.bandcamp.com)

            4. "Ol Rudy" by Euphoria Again, from Bedroom tapes part 1 (2012)

            "Ol Rudy" is a great lo-fi track.  The thing about lo-fi that I really love is the ability to create a certain organic mood, without overusing instrumentation, and this track is no exception.  A sleepy, emotionally worn-out sound comes through, in a nice low-frequency range; with the sound of soft double-tracked vocals, beautifully (and deceptively) underplayed acoustic guitar, and a southern/indie twang of an electric guitar fed through a quiet-sounding amp.  John Forrest Klein's name for his project, Euphoria Again, is a perfect description for the mood both musically and lyrically.  There's almost a kind of sarcasm of the track, but it also sounds at least equally honest.  Relaxing, bittersweet, and folky; lo-fi euphoria again.  Euphoria Again has since released a new compilation of remastered versions of the bedroom tapes releases available at the same link. (http://euphoriaagain.bandcamp.com/)

            5. "Machines Fall Apart" by Tree Wave, from the EP Cabana (2004)

            This is an interesting alt-pop/dream pop crossover track.  It starts with strange and wonderfully warped electronic sounds (likely made from some sorts of archaic synths), and then an old-school 808-reminiscent drumbeat leads the song forward.  More layers of synths, and great vocals that sound like they're sung by a slightly-more-awake Bilinda Butcher (shoegaze in-joke) make it both alternative and poppy, but as the track goes on, the sound evolves into a structured and serious yet upbeat melody, similar to Billy Corgan's amazing solo album, TheFutureEmbrace.(http://archive.org/details/os034)

            6. "half open" by The Bilinda Butchers, from Goodbyes (2012)

            From sounds like Butcher, to named after Butcher, here's the 6th track of this imaginary mixtape.  This is a dream pop band I've been wanting to mention for some time.  No, it's not Bilinda Butcher in some new solo project, but it is a dream pop band with some great tones.  "half open" is a bit poppy, and has some mild Eastern-stylized synths as well as loads of other ones.  Vocal "ahhs" are in a great amount of reverb, and the melody is catchy and greatly sung.  The layers of different synths, drums, vocals, and guitars, give it an overall modern style, even though there are some definite '80s sounds in there too.  The instrumental ending is like listening to an epitome of something not yet named.  Oh, and don't be freaked out by the sounds at the end; they're part of the track, not actual radio interference near your ears.  (http://thebilindabutchers.bandcamp.com/)


            7. "Community College" by LAKE R▲DIO (feat. PIXEL GRIP), from Hypnagogia (2013)

            "Community College" is a laid-back instrumental with house influences by LAKE R▲DIO (Caden Moore), featuring PIXEL GRIP.  There's a lot of reverb in all the right places, and a synth solo that's analogue-yet-new-sounding.  Vocal samples turn into blips, and the track brings a slow style to the electronic music scene, that doesn't rely on bad writing, vocal trills, or ambient loops to make it sound that way.  Slight hip-hop influences also come through, and it sounds just as good when sped up at time and a half (I like to experiment with music on my computer).  (http://lakeradio.bandcamp.com)

            8. "I'm Not Perfect, Are You?" by The Silence of a Whisper, from The Past, The Future, The End (2011)

            This is a moody and pensive instrumental track from Swedish artist The Silence of a Whisper (Jerome Engström).  It reminds me of the kind of dusk when it's getting dark-blue outside; like a rainy day spent in a tub surrounded by the atmosphere, and a soft yellow light.  As much as that isn't in musical terms, it really defines the sound to me.  "I'm Not Perfect, Are You?" is one of the slower and non-distorted tracks off the largely post-rock/metal The Past, The Future, The End.  Starting with a deep bass drone, and soft nostalgic melodic electric guitar fed through reverb, the track takes on a beauty reminiscent of Sigur Ros, or some of the softer early Pumpkins tracks ("Luna" comes to mind a bit).  Drums are as evocative as the rest of the track, and the whole track has a kind of relaxed, resolved sound that is almost completely unique.  The Silence of a Whisper has since released 2 new singles, available at the same link (http://thesilenceofawhisper.bandcamp.com/)

            9. "Downtown" by The Shipyard [single] (2012)

            This is a nice nighttime-ish alt-rock track from Polish band The Shipyard.  This track is upbeat and catchy, as well as being sophisticated and mellow to a point.  Great lyrics and singing are complimented by perfectly equalized and processed drums, loads of heavily melodic guitars, a chorus-processed bass, and synths that sound like a new beginning for popular music.  "Downtown" has the great quality of being moving without being overdramatic, and catchy without being annoying; it's a slight chillwave influence on top of a post-rock/pop-rock style that seems to do the trick.  And the ending is just how I wanted it to be, before I heard it.  It's also featured on the new album by The Shipyard, We Will Sea, under the name "Downtown 2012". (http://theshipyard.bandcamp.com/)

            10."a smoothie robot for my moon mansion" by Ricky Eat Acid, from (2011_demos) (2012).

            The final track of this imaginary mixtape is a somewhat ambient track, with a sweet beat, and beautiful piano, accented with delays, and other soft synths on top.  It's a rich atmosphere of contemplative melancholic contentment, as uplifting as it is nostalgia-inducing.  An instrumental, it reinforces the power of instrumentals to evoke the same amount of emotion that non-instrumentals do.  The track sounds like Air, but mixed by someone like Brian Eno, maybe with help from Nigel Godrich, and a lo-fi/chillwave producer as well.  Beautiful sums it up well.  (http://rickyeatacid.bandcamp.com/)

            Overall, this is an eclectic mix of genres, from different albums, from different countries, and they all bring great sound to the table.  Now just see how that can work, physically.

Indie Gaze: Imaginary Mixtape 1/3

 

            This is the 1st imaginary mixtape on this blog.

 

             Well, it’s Friday the 13th, but if you like Track-By-Track, today will be a lucky one.  For September, since it’s a kind of new-beginning time of year, instead of reviewing albums or EPs, I’ll turn you on to 10 great tracks each week, from different albums and compilations I’ve found over the years, for the duration of the month.  Don’t worry, I’ll return to album/EP reviews in October, time willing.

            I realize I’ve been giving the whole of indie music a bit of a hard time so far. Many of these tracks have indie influences, and they sound great because of it; so don’t think I’m against the genre, I’m just against it being where it doesn’t sound good, like any other genre.

            Here's my TBT:

            1. “Dreaming” by Adam & The Amethysts, from the compilation album Foreign Trade - A Music Exchange Between Minneapolis & Montreal [CJLO 1690AM (Montreal) & Radio K (Minneapolis)]

            Dreaming is a soft new-wave/old-school dream pop track.  The lyrics are great, with a storyline about some kind of archeological site.  A slow, relaxed beat mixes with soft guitar and bass, and natural, harmonized vocals.  No extreme processing of any kind, but the style sneaks up and relaxes, like a chillwave take on 80s ballads.  Adam & The Amethysts are from Canada, which makes them the first band I’ve reviewed from my homeland, astonishingly.  What sounds like a sax brings the end home, and makes the over-six-minute length seem short and worthwhile.  “If it seems like I’m dreaming, don’t wake me.” (http://cjlo1690am.bandcamp.com)

            2. “Flourish” by Jesper Lundager, from I Could Fall in Love Again EP (2011)

            This is an old-school dream pop (very little synth, more guitar processing) song, very reminiscent of 90s dream-pop band Cocteau Twins.  Despite what might be a dark tone lyrically, it’s uplifting musically, and really otherworldly with acoustics heard through chorus processing, and soft, unusual, and fitting vocals.  There’s either a slide guitar, or a synth that sounds like it, that really drives the emotion in the song, and as bass and bass synths soothe, a certain sadness also comes through the nostalgic and upbeat song.  Lundager is now in another band, Tusindfald and I can’t wait to hear more from either.  “See her candle light calling out for you.” (http://jesperlundager.bandcamp.com)

            3. “Double Vision” by Hunting Club from Mosaic (2013)

            And now, this is what I call new-style dream pop.  There are definitely indie influences in the track, and at times it reminds me of Arcade Fire’s “No Cars Go”.  Vocals are like pop vocals, pre-pitch correction, with enough warm, resonant reverb to really get that indie feel.  The beat is fast, guitars are repetitive and Summery, bass creates the real base of the melody, and the synths show why digital, done right, can be just as good as analog.  “I cannot forget with double vision.” (http://huntingclubmusic.bandcamp.com/)

            4. “Know Me Right” by The Sorry Shop from Mnemonic Syncretism (2013)

            “Know Me Right” is definitely shoegaze, but indie comes through as well.  Awash in reverb, the track starts off with over 40 seconds of shoegaze guitar, bass, and drums (and tambourine).  Then comes the pitch-treated vocals, which emphasize a kind of Jesus and Mary Chain atmosphere already hinted at with the music.  Fortunately, lyrics are included, so you can understand a kind of agoraphobic story nicely playing with the static and energy of the song.  “Why will I ever need anything from the outside when it’s so good in here”. (http://thesorryshop.bandcamp.com)

            5. “Headcleaner” by Hypermagic from Sugar (2011)

            “Headcleaner” is an instrumental shoegaze/drone/ambient track by Hypermagic, that mixes the sound of heavily-driven tremolo-effected guitar, soft vocal trails, an interesting and kinda syncopated beat, and great resonant sounds all around the ears.  It’s drone in a way, because it doesn’t change the main chord structure, yet it also reminds me of ambient tracks, and shoegaze, with a very slight touch of indie in the vocals and mixing.  Hypermagic has since released more music, with their newest 3 track EP, Of Marsh and Mallow. (http://hypermagic.bandcamp.com)

            6. “Saint Étienne” by Abiku from Techincolor (2011)

            Where would my blog be without great Italian music?  Well, let’s put aside that scary rhetorical question, and look at this track.  Abiku’s “Saint Étienne” opened my heart through this song so much, that I wish I knew more Italian than what digital translations tell me.  It has a rich sound like a fine wine, or perhaps something finer, and both relaxes and invigorates.  There are touches of indie without being overbearingly so.  Beautiful vocals, a perfect and prominent bass, and warm textured synths in the beginning make it very warm and sunlit.  Drums bring out the energetic side, and just when you think it’s set in a certain sound, distorted and inverted-sounding guitars enhance the mood.  There’s really no way to describe the full sound, but needless to say once you’ve heard it, it’s bliss.  (http://abikuband.bandcamp.com)

            7. “Alpine” by Apollo Vermouth from Burning in Heaven (2012)

            It was hard to choose which song off Apollo Vermouth’s Burning in Heaven release I wanted to review for this imaginary mixtape.  “Untitled” was a runner up, but “Alpine” took the cake for its strong shoegaze sound.  “Alpine” is an instrumental shoegaze/drone track.  Through its repetitive drone nature, and huge distortion, a relaxation sets in, like a kind of obliteration of the senses (or at least one).  It’s like a My Bloody Valentine coda, and a bit like their “Sometimes”, in the way of relaxing distortion that most people would use in harsher rock.  You can tell some of the indie edges in the track, even through its meditative and pensive overall sound. (http://apollovermouth.bandcamp.com)

            8. “I’m Not Talking” by AC Newman From Shut Down the Streets (2012)

            AC Newman released Shut Down the Streets last year, and “I’m Not Talking” starts the album off on the right foot.  The beginning has some great analogue-sounding synths, and soon the song explodes with the full energy that’s throughout almost all of the song.  The beat has lots of 60s-style tambourine, and the song screams indie done properly.  It’s warm and full of heart, with great harmonies, and an overall great focus on melody.  The classic sound of acoustics and bass, give the song retro flair, and I’m happy that this sound was made in Canada.  “I Like the way things are, I say abandon the search, for an author of small work.” (http://www.acnewman.net/)

            9. “Sunlight” by Yuno [single] (2012)

            “Sunlight” is another alt-rock song with great melodic sense.  Vocals with heavy reverb, layered guitars, warm bass, and an addictive beat.  The song is nostalgic and hi-frequency tones make it sound both back and forward looking.  It’s definitely a hit, but like a like a lighter, more shoegaze or dream pop style version of an older one.  (http://yvno.bandcamp.com)

            10. “Untitled” by Sea Oleena from Sleeplessness (2011)

            The last track by someone from my homeland in this imaginary mixtape, is a song titled “Untitled”, by Sea Oleena (writer/performer Charlotte Oleena, produced and mixed by her brother Luke Loseth).  It has both background noises that enhance the track’s indie/lo-fi vibe, and music that sounds professionally constructed.  The writing and style reminds me of Leonard Cohen, which is a big plus lyrically and musically.  It has a certain sparseness, enhanced by guitars (acoustic and processed) and soft evocative vocals sung through airy reverb.  The bass is addictive, just like the beat, made up of strange sounds sometimes with interesting delays on them.  “Untitled” is from Sea Oleena’s second release, Sleeplessness, which I highly recommend for ghostly alt-acoustic tones. (http://seaoleena.bandcamp.com)

            Overall, these are inspiring and amazing indie-alt-rock crossover songs that you should check out right now.  I mean it, right at this moment.

Pink Elephants: The Good Kind of Hallucination

 

            This is a review of Pink Elephants’s eponymous EP (2013), and the 16th Review (and 2nd bonus review) here on Track-By-Track.

            Pink Elephants (teenage solo artist Bradley Coy) released the Pink Elephants EP this year, and after finding it, I loved the somewhat nostalgic-yet-modern sounds.  Cooper's music has an interestingly 80s retro vibe, but done in a modern way, a bit like M83.  As with most good modern dream-pop, It’s like glide-guitar (pitch warping) has been taken straight from My Bloody Valentine, and applied to synths.  The vocals are generally very airy, with loads of reverb, and the great synths drive this EP.
           Generally, the release is on the technological side of dream pop (new-style dream-pop), though it isn’t a complete turn away from the laid-back alternativeness that paved the way in the pre-'00s.  Sometimes I felt like digging out my old Sega Genesis, because some songs sound like classic video-game music running through loads of pedals.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The first track, “I Think I Know” is pretty great new-style dream pop.  It has some basic drum samples, but the atmosphere created by the synths, bass, guitar, and vocals, make up for them in spades.  It’s like if Priums were remixed by Cocteau Twins or Echo & the Bunnymen.  Cuts are abrupt and sometimes disconcerting, to good effect.

            “Iridescent” has classic synths, and some pop-style ducking, with an equalization that washes everything in an ocean of digitally created waves.  This is the hit song on the EP.  The drums are more classic than low-end, which is a plus for this EP.  If there will be singles from the EP, this one should lead.  Great vocal harmonies accentuate the drifting feeling of the song, which is just like what I’d expect a producer from the 80s would die for.  It's ridiculously addictive, and the major glo-fi/chillwave sound helps with that addictiveness.

            “Lemmings” overpowers with bass, though the drums sound very Garageband despite their great beat (near the end they don’t seem too distracting though).  Vocals and synths are very dream-pop.  The sound, though lo-fi is addictive and harshly ethereal.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Cooper was out of breath after every take, or even every line, because they’re wonderfully breathy; seething with understated emotion.

            The 4th track, “The Flying Bandstand”, starts with the one word that can be definitely discerned from the vocals on this entire EP:”F**k”.  The synths are very classic-sounding, and it almost sounds like great vocals put to great video-game music.  Just like the rest of the EP, discernible words are sacrificed for the sake of atmosphere; we of the shoegaze ilk don’t mind that, but non-gazers might not understand.  It makes me think of a large circus tent at the end.

            “When I Will Learn” sounds like the vocals were either recorded backwards, or sung to sound backwards.  It’s the folk song on the EP, and the guitar is kinda indie-lo-fi.  I can’t figure out the lyrics completely, though “when will I learn” is part of the chorus.  It’s like all the seams of the melodic structures from the previous songs have been whittled down, and we’re left with the sound of unwound threads, scattered by a skilled artist while slightly under some unknown influence.  Or, in musical terms, good guitars and lo-fi vocals.

            Overall, a good dream-pop EP, and I can’t wait for more.  I’m hoping that in the future, Cooper will play with more drum samples, or live drums, to perfect his sound.  You can check out Pink Elephants at http://pinkelephants1.bandcamp.com, and stream and download this EP for a pay-what-you-want price (as of writing this).  After taking a listen, if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to see more Pink Elephants in the near future (pun intended in a good way).

Naked Sanctuary: A Sonic Sanctum

            This is a retrospective review of the Vinyl Williams release, Naked Sanctuary (2010), and the 14th review here on Track-By-Track.

            Naked Sanctuary is extremely well-done shoegaze psychedelia.  Though fairly recent, it’s still a release I wouldn’t normally review due to being part of the back-catalogue of Vinyl Williams releases; I’m normally interested in current albums, but it’s a treat to bring attention to previous releases that are just as relevant as modern ones.  And this is an appropriately retro-influenced release.  If this album were released in the ‘60s or ‘70s, music as we know it might have changed course for the better; though it’s exciting to know that artists who make music as transcendent as this are still alive and well.
            Amazingly, this is a solo project; Lionel Williams is the sole engineer and writer on the album.  The professionalism and quality of music from solo artists never ceases to surprise me.  There’s also an interesting overtone of mysticism throughout, both musically, and in terms of lyrical content.  Loads of ideas flow through, and even the artwork (individual to each track) helps with making this a refreshingly alternative release.  Though Naked Sanctuary has just five tracks, I can’t really decide whether it’s an album or an EP, because of its over 27 minute length.  Washes of reverb, static, and an abundance of melody, in some ways makes me glad it wasn’t released back in the height of psychedelic and progressive rock’s popularity, because I’d wear out the grooves of an analogue record like this pretty quickly.
            Here’s my digital TBT:

            The release starts with “100”, with a constantly changing melodically warped atmosphere that mainly goes between a somewhat Syd-Barrett, and a stripped-down Sway (reviewed at the beginning of this month), in style.  Some very cryptic lyrics, occasionally in a language I don't know: “Lef’nei shanim zeh haya midbar (Years ago this was a desert)”.  Loads of strange sounds that surround like The Flaming Lips’ best songs.  There’s guitar with loads of static and delay throughout, textured drums, and during the chorus, a great combination of soft-yet-loud bass, huge guitar, heavily-panned tambourine and drums, and evocative vocals; in what might be a defining moment of melody.  Vocals throughout are soft, layered, and curious.  And the ending surprises.

            “Freshly Picked Diamond” follows, with obscured strange and hypnotic lyrics (thankfully provided in print), and transcendent melody.  To call this merely a shoegaze track would do it a disservice, because it’s another strongly psychedelic track; loads of sounds that really bring attention to the fact you’re listening in stereo, delays to the hilt, and what sounds like very warm spring reverb.  There might even be some warm synths low in the mix.  It’s like the vocals are trying to convey a secret message in this, and all the other tracks on Naked Sanctuary, yet the rich guitars, bass, and drums, combine so perfectly with the vocals that there’s little doubt the music is important to Vinyl Williams.  It finishes with a beautiful and heavily-processed coda that sounds like a clip from a larger ambient track.

            The third track, “Zeal Biotics” is the downbeat track.  Though at times breath is audible in the track, it sounds like part of the intent rather than production problems.  It’s so captivating that it’s hard to describe.  It’s a bit like a modern-rock track, but with such heavy abandon into deep melody -- bass combines with guitar to create conflicting yet melodically sound chords, and vocals add yet another dimension -- that it goes far beyond any standard form of rock.  Heavily shoegaze and psychedelic again, with slightly overdriven drums, and guitars that sound like reverb itself.  And who could ignore this: “Every time you think or feel, I’m resonating vast frequencies”?

            The second-last track, “Spiral Galaxy” is instrumental and uplifting, especially after the last track’s dark tone.  It starts out with meditative harmony from what I can only guess is a sampler through five or ten reverb channels, and there are soft drum and tambourine sounds as well.  It’s hard to describe what this track is, but it’s beautiful; just nothing other than itself comes to mind.  It has a definite Eastern influence, like other works by Vinyl Williams.

            “Psychic Shrine” is the final track, which starts out with a guitar panning from ear to ear.  There’s a sitar.  I repeat.  There’s a sitar.  That’s all I need to fall in love with it.  Even though there’s so much more.  Guitar dives in and out of complete overdriven reverb obliteration, bass undertones harmonics, and the drums are addictive.  The vocals drive the track, especially in the chorus with these lyrics: “Can you tell me what there is on the other side?”.  They’re so emotional, yet not at the expense of melody and quality.  Some occasional vocal tones sampled and panned right give even more texture to the track, even though it doesn’t seem possible beforehand.  Sometimes the guitar is reminiscent of Sonic Youth, with loads of static, and unusual chords (both in discord and not).

            Overall, unbelievable, powerful, and deeply musical.  This release is a good example of why I don’t do drugs; I assume I can get roughly the same mental transcendence and warping without the bad side-effects.  You can stream for free, and download for pay-what-you-want prices in CD quality at http://vinylwilliams.bandcamp.com.  Vinyl Williams has since released a new EP, and LP, available at the same link.  Sit back, relax, turn on, drop out.  Oh, and don’t take the brown acid.

APZOO EP: Shoegaze Evolved

            This is a retrospective review of Asalto al Parque Zoológico’s first release: The original version of their APZOO EP (2009), and the 13th review here on Track-By-Track.

            Asalto al Parque Zoológico (APZOO for short) is a band from Buenos Aires in Argentina.  Though they’re a fairly recent band -- they’ve been going since 2008 -- I’m reviewing their EP as part of the retrospective theme of this month because I would normally avoid reviewing music released before 2012, to keep current.
            And the retrospective theme suits them perfectly.  They have a style like older alternative rock, just with hints of modern flare.  There are noise rock and psychedelic elements to their work, but mainly they’re a shoegaze band.  There are also some old-school (not mainly synth) dream-pop sounds underneath their overall noise-gazing bliss, underplayed to near-obscurity.  When I found APZOO, I was amazed that there were bands keeping shoegaze alive, let alone being evolutionary forces keeping it growing, like this EP certainly does.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The EP starts off with “Below”, a visceral grating guitar tone with soft drums and blurred vocals, with a scoop-processed bass.  It’s ethereal, but also harsh, and sounds like My Bloody Valentine playing a set with The Flaming Lips (“Ego Tripping” era).  There’s a great uneasiness that is pronounced with the warping and drifting guitars and vocals throughout; which are quickly interrupted by a holocaust of starchy distorted guitar, somewhat comparable to “You Made Me Realize”

            Then comes “Breeze”.  Huge loud guitars, with vocals that skillfully double-trip over each word.  The bass pretty much never stops, and it sounds more like the hum of a large vehicle at times than just a bass guitar.  the drums are heavy and the low frequency is emphasized.  At the end, there’s a mainly reversed coda, which is a definite homage to My Bloody Valentine’s Tremolo and Loveless era codas.

            “Awake” is more psych-rock; kinda like The Brian Jonestown Massacre playing with The Dandy Warhols.  There’s a huge resonant whirlwind, and strange shimmering (heavily delayed with loads of high-frequency) guitars.  It’s a treat to hear chords and sounds this unusual, especially with tambourine and a bass kick like a persistent deep drum on a log.  The lyrics are repetitive, but it suits the song.  There’s a dissonance between the resonant washes of what I think is reverb and the main guitar and vocal sounds, that makes it that much more alternative.

            “Slow Motion” is the second-last song on the APZOO EP.  It’s a noise-rock piece.  People who like both The Velvet Underground and Rune Lindblad will love this one.  It’s instrumental, and seems to have muddled bass and a guitar that sounds pitch-treated, awash in huge reverb.  Those low-end frequencies makes the APZOO EP sound older than it is, to good effect.

            “Le Dernier Jour” is the final track, and though I don’t speak its language, I do love the clarity of the vocals; it’s unusual in shoegazing tracks, though it works just as well as obscuring them does.  It sounds like a shoegaze-influenced modern track, until the chorus messes with expectations by removing the reverb, and changing key.  You’ll find radio-transmissions (or vocals that sound like them) throughout the second half, and there’s a feedback solo that gives way to another coda.  And before you know it, like the snap of a finger, it’s over.

            Overall, this EP is an earthy alternative rock/shoegaze treat, and like all addictive substances, makes you want more.  APZOO has since re-released the EP with two new tracks -- and deleted their original Bandcamp page, which mentioned what year the original EP was released -- but the new songs very nearly stand on their own.  You can stream for free and purchase in CD quality at http://sadness.bandcamp.com/album/apzoo-ep-asalto-al-parque-zool-gico.  And the new version's new tracks are like the cherry on the cake.

Despondent Transponder: Not Just a Fleeting Joy

            This is a retrospective review of the Fleeting Joys album Despondent Transponder (2006), and the 12th review on this blog.

            Fleeting Joys is a Shoegaze band from California, in a mainly traditional sense.  There are moments when they are more 90s alt-metal/alt-rock than shoegaze, but overall, this is one of those albums I’d recommend to anyone who wants to know what shoegaze sounds like, and who might not have had as much time bleeding their ears on the progenitors like I have (figuratively).  They have a great sound, with mainly drifting guitars, driving bass, riding drums, and vocals with a dreamy quality resurrected from the shoegaze-explosion of the 90s.
            I actually came across their formerly-lost song, Golden Now, first, and after listening to it a couple dozen times on headphones, I wanted more.  Fortunately, Despondent Transponder didn’t disappoint.  This is a strong album, and I’m glad I can write about it, even though they’ve since released newer material, because it’s so richly textured, and raw.  After all this time, it’s still relevant and enjoyable, as loads of the album just sticks with you.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The album starts with the song “The Breakup”.  It’s a modern-style shoegaze purist track, with loads of reverse-reverb and transparent overdrive.  A great start, it’s a chilled-out track, and they make use of the Kevin Shields glide guitar style of playing well.  This is another epitome of shoegazing music, like last week’s, but in a different way.  Fleeting Joys have a certain laid-back harshness about their sound on Despondent Transponder that makes their sound generally somewhere between indie rock, metal, and shoegaze proper.  Vocals are beautiful, layered, and calmly foreboding; drums ride in the verses, and are hard-hitting in the choruses; bass blasts out overdriven tones; and there’s even a great coda with samples and a perfect example of shoegazing in its element.

            “Lovely Crawl” comes next, and it’s a kind of hard-rock shoegaze mix.  Enveloping guitar and great soft breathy vocals are nicely juxtaposed by heavy bass, and slow-driving drums.  There are loads of layers in the track, many of them vocal, but some guitar, like the solos that shout out alt-rock done right.

            “Go and Come Back” is the third track.  It’s slower and softer than most of the album.  The guitar drifts in and out of its own reverb, and the vocals are beautiful.  The drums throughout are textured and played in a way to perfectly support and shine at the same time, as the bass grounds.  “Go and Come Back” is like lifting from the ground, but knowing you’ll never get lost in the sky.

            “I Want More Life” starts out with some string-samples being pitch warped, and then erupts into a kind of upbeat shoegaze speed-metal, in which the drums speed the track up, and the guitar give the illusion that the drums aren’t going fast at all.  Of course, it can certainly get the heart going, but it calms as it rages on.  It’s like an upper and a downer, not that I’d advise either of those non-musically.  It’s amazing that instrumental tracks can get this good.

            “Satellite” is fast and washed out with great guitar and high vocals.  The bass gives a backdrop to the track, and actually helps keep the key for the vocals, because great drums and warped guitar only help to imbue the track with a chaotic ordered-ness.  There’s an instrumental bridge after the middle of the track that’s to die for.  Look for it, and repeat ad infinitum.

            “While I’m Waiting”, the sixth track, comes after a low-end distorted fade-in.  The keyboard is like a good pop-line from the 90s, in the midst of a great 90s revival song.  It sounds optimistic, even though the lyrics are a bit Slowdivey.  Layered vocal harmonies fade out with the sweet anachronistic bass-line at the end.

            “Magnificent Oblivion” warps and flourishes, and a kind of repeating tremolo that sounds like a cd skipping on a synth track gives it a nice catchiness inside of the atmosphere created by warm bass, soft drums (with classic shoegaze-style cymbal rides), shy and dreamy vocals, and cold-and-aching-sounding guitar.  It’s a longer track, and addictive to boot.

            “Where Do I End” is the eighth track, and it sounds more 90s metal than shoegaze, even though it’s definitely a crossover.  I love the vocals and tonal combinations of the guitar and bass.  Actually, I love the ultra-90s-alt-rock drums too.  Actually, I adore this whole album, so if I don’t mention something, it’s not for lack of enjoyment.  Loads of fuzz and some great fake-out endings and hiss near the end.

            “Young Girls Fangs” comes next.  It begins with static, and what sounds like a guitar (or five) being fed through a Leslie speaker (or an emulator of one).  It’s another instrumental, and synths and guitar sound like the only parts to this track, even though bass is prevalent.  It’s just that the bass is so melded perfectly with the guitar’s chords and rhythm (and rejection thereof), that it doesn’t sound like anything could be that on-time outside of being built-in.

            “Patron Saint” is a hard-rock shoegaze mix.  The bass and drums are more modern rock (well-performed modern-rock, that is), and the vocals are more chilled out.  The guitar is almost impossible to describe without talking about pedals, looping, and sounds that defy description.  So instead of trying to analyze it to death, I’ll just say that it creates a kind of wildly out-of-control atmosphere, that somehow the bass manages to persuade back into non-noise-rock territory.  It’s an odd song to end on in some ways (it was the original ending of Despondent Transponder, before Golden Now was rediscovered by the band), but it does sound like an ending nonetheless.  And a bit like a Sonic Youth solo.

            “Golden Now” is the last track on the digital version of Despondent Transponder.  It’s a Heavenly sound with loads of slowly modulated guitar, bass supporting all the tones, drums that grab the attention with analogue-sounding distortion, and a killer vocal-lyrical combination.  It’s the reason I found this album, really.  As complex as it is laid-back, and dark as it is uplifting, it’s a paradox set to music.  Just listening to the drums brings by my adoration of tube mics, and the whole thing is done to a T.

            Overall, an amazing and interesting display of power and grace, usually simultaneously.  Fleeting Joys has since released a new album, and you can stream both for free at http://fleetingjoys1.bandcamp.com, and purchase CD-quality downloads at that link as well.  Like many bands, they can’t live up to their name.  The joy that is Fleeting Joys actually lasts a long time.

The Millia Pink And Green: Perfect Shoegaze Harmony

 

            This is a retrospective review of the EP The Millia Pink and Green (2003) by Sway, and the eleventh review here on Track-By-Track.

            This EP is succulent.  Though ten years old, like fine wine, it only gets better with age.  It’s a perfect portrait of the shoegaze genre, and of music itself in my opinion.  There’s a beautifully overwhelming quality to it that is in part due to the compression throughout, which instead of stonewalling, enhances the artistry of the track.  Through this compression a kind of pleasantly burning sound is achieved, for lack of a better description.
            But there isn’t fire alone with this masterpiece by Sway.  Simultaneously, there’s a watery modulated sound to the guitars in most cases.  The two big names in shoegaze I tend to cite are My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive, because of the overall atmospheres and emotion that they create with their music, and The Millia Pink and Green is a revival of sorts of their main genre of music; but with a sound that instead of copying, reaches beyond the two bands’ individual styles for a third distinct part of shoegaze.  Just listening to the first track sends me into bliss, so with that in mind, you might want to find a special time and place to listen to this release.  “Like a mind-altering substance, without the risk” (look up the quotation).
            Here’s my TBT:

            The EP starts off quickly with a hit of sound.  It's immediately enveloping and classic, through huge guitar and sharp drums.  This is one of only a handful of songs I mean when I say  "shoegaze proper”.  The crisp snares ride waves of guitar delays, as the beautifully sung and wonderfully harmonized vocals, heavily drowned in reverb, create yet another atmosphere within the song.  Even though the chorus is one word, it’s addictive and massively ethereal.  The lyrics seem to be nice (from what I can understand of them), and it just feels like one of those songs you remember.  Touches of bass and glockenspiel add to the instantly classic nature of the track, which just solidifies the perfection of “Fall”.

            “Sounds Like Everyone” comes next, and is very Slowdive.  Processed and layered guitars play drums that slowly fade in over their own reverberations.  All of the guitar in the chorus brings out what it might sound like if My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless were part of Slowdive’s Souvlaki.  The vocals are harmonized and processed, and again, the compression on this track especially brings out that distinctively well-done burning sound.  The end is a complete abandon to the forces of music.  It’s a rich phased treat, and the minor key emphasizes a forceful yet soft seriousness like the darker songs by Sigur Ros.  Or perhaps this is the song I’ll be referring to in the future about that sound.

            “Sullust” is like Slowdive’s ambient work Pygmalion, but with a modern flare.  It’s an ethereal sound progressing linearly, without chorus or definable words; only the harmony of massive guitars and vocals, and an underlying drumbeat and bass that supports it well.  If there are synths in the track, they are only slightly discernible above the guitars and vocals, and what I think are synths might just be a trick of the mind induced by oceans of reverb.  It’s textured so well that it doesn't sound muddled, yet simultaneously it overwhelms the senses with harmonies through vast reverb soundscapes.

            “Ever And Ever” is the fourth track, with a great indie tom-based drumbeat, and introspective lyrics like: “Everything we are goes away / All we are is dust”.  Guitar and vocals once again amaze.  There are loads of resonant tones throughout the track, and the end brings the classic riding shoegaze-style drumbeat back.  Staggering harmonies, and sheer love come through level after level of music, which takes more than just a few listens to even begin to explore.

            The final track, “Opentillate”, is like what it would sound like if R.E.M. at their musical peak collaborated with Slowdive just before their last album, and Billy Corgan ghostwrote some guitar lines.  The levels of resonance bring a bliss to the track unparalleled in most songs, and 90s-alt-rock guitar glows beside harmonies to perfection, a soft but powerful bass, and drums that contain all the elements of the previous tracks.  How five tracks like the ones on this EP were ever brought together astounds me, because any band with one of them to their credit deserves praise.

            Overall, in a word, perfection; musical sophistication and production quality is through the roof, and I'm in love with this EP.  You can download it in CD quality for whatever price pleases you at http://sway.bandcamp.com.  Sway has since split up, leaving Andrew Saks as the sole member of Sway.  Fortunately, that means we can expect new songs from Sway in the future.  If they’re anything close to this, I can’t wait.

We Saw the Moon: A Starry Night

            This is a review of the EP We Saw the Moon (2013), by Swedish duo Hearts of Black Science, and the tenth review here on Track-By-Track.

            Though almost half-a-year old, this EP was new to me when I heard it recently.  It’s a lot like deservedly well-respected bands meeting equally talented lesser-known bands, musically.  Observer Drift (whose latest album was my first review on this blog) definitely comes to mind, as well as electronic artist Liars, goth staples The Cure, and U2, among others.  The EP is engineered, performed, and written, like a band at the top of their game.  And that’s exactly what they seem to be.
            What really surprised me was the ability that Hearts of Black Science -- the Gothemburg-based duo of Daniel Änghede on vocals and physical instruments, and Tomas Almgren on production/mixing, digital instruments, and more-than-fitting album art -- has of blending goth tones and themes with lighter and more atmospheric genres.  It’s really the combination of Almgren’s and Änghede’s two different perspectives on music that makes We Saw the Moon not only unique, but uniquely enjoyable.  This is a release that lulls and swells with mood and emotion, and mixes a nighttime atmosphere with different takes on that theme.  Great music conveys emotion, and this is a softly-lit warm reminder.
            Get out your candles; here’s my 10th TBT:

            “Winter In Tar Garden” starts the EP, with a decidedly chilly atmosphere.  A pleasantly dark track, with processing all over electronic bass, piano, and a modern drumbeat.  It reminds me of milder songs from the ongoing genre crossover (and continual miscategorization) of black metal and shoegaze, but done properly with wafts of electronic and mildly ambient tones.  There’s enough time to get the atmosphere of the track through instrumental breaks between the sparse vocals, and the vocal-lyrical combination give it a whole other level of mood.  The vocals are processed to perfection (in the alternative-music sense, not the pop-music sense), and great synths are just loud enough to almost totally mask some great guitars.  This obscuration somehow makes the track better than if the guitars were at the forefront, like the generally obscured or low-volume vocals in shoegaze proper.  Synths bring out a dark atmosphere, but in a way that's like a dark Van Gogh, rather than a depressing or unpleasantly dark movie.  It reminds me a bit of Curve's song “Coast is Clear”.

            “College Dreams” comes next, and it’s a definite 80s-style hit.  It’s probably my favourite on the EP, and it has loads of glo-fi with some hints of dream-pop throughout.  Great synths, and vocals with classic lyrics are sung, processed, and harmonized, like a collaboration between U2 and Duran Duran at their best.  It sounds nostalgic, and there’s definitely a chillwave sound to the track.  Drums are in that addictive eq, and guitars are very 80s.  Though on first listen, I wasn’t huge on the mid-range-bandpass-equalized vocal cuts, by the second listen, I was looking forward to them like a long-overdue release from The Postal Service (as if such a thing were ever announced).  It’s heartening that such a happy-sounding track has mildly foreboding lyrics, such as: “For now we’re young and we’ll never die”.

            “Icon” is the 3rd track, and though it starts with a lo-fi electronic goth sound, it quickly becomes an electronica anthem.  This one has the least prominent guitars yet it fits the scheme of the EP by being smack-dab in the middle.  Guitars are mainly underneath loud bass synths and old-school drum samples, and let’s not forget the classic chorus-effected-piano, and choral samples.  The vocals once again are amazing, and emotive without fault or over-production.  There are definitely parts that remind me of The Cure (especially the better tracks of their 4:13 Dream album), and Peter Murphy’s “Cuts You Up”, among other great goth progenitors.

            “Fathoms” is the penultimate track.  Some glitchy drums and tremolo-processed synths are the perfect backing for what sounds like Slowdive meeting The Unforgettable Fire-era U2, and it interestingly becomes a goth glo-fi/chillwave track, which I never thought could ever mix , let alone so well.  The drums are slow, and guitars appear in odd places, as well as providing a great atmosphere for the vocals (in all their modulated and harmonized glory) to drift on.  Bass takes a back-seat, but still remains important in keeping the darker tone of the song.  And somehow, somewhere, a string section (or samples of) make their way into the track, and seamlessly blend with guitar through heavy reverb.

            The title track puts it all in perspective.  Although all the tracks are well-done, this is a major contender for the airspace “College” also deserves.  I must say, I wish I knew where the vocal sample at the beginning comes from, but it escapes me.  The track sounds like both a total acceptance of the night, and darkness itself.  I love anything that captures that true energy and atmosphere of a warm dark starry night, and this delves in and presents the auditory and lyrical equivalent of that feeling of walking in such a night.  It’s a bit like a stripped-down Adore-era Pumpkins song, and retains the positivity of chillwave even through its warm and slightly dark tone.  Guitars set it up, drums drive it on, “1979”-esque synths lift it upwards, bass tethers it to the ground, and vocals bring it home.  And it ends on a perfect note -- literally, like Nine Inch Nails’s “Right Where It Belongs” played by “1979” chorus synths.

            Overall, an amazing atmospheric EP, upbeat and dark in all the right places.  Almgren and Änghede have good reason to be proud of their latest fully-new release (they’ve since released their first volume of B-sides and remixes).  You can stream We Saw the Moon for free at http://heartsofblackscience.bandcamp.com, and purchase CD-quality downloads of their music at that link.  If this EP is any judge, the moon must look pretty great in Gothenburg.

Here There Anywhere Like You: Me Like

            This is a review of the Here There Anywhere Like You EP (2013) by Newglads, and the ninth review here on Track-By-Track.

            This will probably be as close to pop-rock as I get with this blog.  That being said, there are enough alt-rock sounds in Here There Anywhere Like You to fit the style I’m going for with Track-By-Track.  Newglads is an Italian band formed in 2012 by Matteo Fallica (the guitarist and singer) and Christiano Belluzzo (the producer and main songwriter).  Their sound is definitely influenced by Oasis, though there are also some similarities with Radiohead, R.E.M., and Our Lady Peace, in this EP.
            This is an EP to listen to in high-quality, because it’s mastered and mixed so well (audiophile talking here), as well as performed expertly.  The songs are structured more like straight-up rock, but at times, different genres of alt-rock show themselves in the way these classic structures are played.  It’s also completely sung in English, which is interesting for a band not from a mainly English country.  A lot of times, it reminds me of the upbeat songs I grew up listening to, and the lyrical hooks and some of the melodies will stick in the brain like honey on toast.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The EP starts with “All in a Row”, which sounds a bit like like early R.E.M. and Radiohead.  Though it’s not very alternative in the Sonic Youth sense, the style is deceptive.  It’s well-produced and written, and layers of guitar bring that old-school alt-rock dimension to it.  There’s even a slide guitar solo; the solo being a long-forgotten art in modern rock, and begging to be brought back from purely metal circles.  Drums are slightly indie, but eqs make it go beyond the genre.  I must point out that listening to the different layers on this and every track on the EP is amazing at high headphone levels.  I had to resist the urge to crank it up to ear-damaging decibles.

            “Morning Lies” reminds me of a kind of pop-rock, especially the vocals, though the textured guitars again bring layers of alt-influence to the track.  There are obvious Oasis influences on this, but not to a fault.  Fast sharp drums drive the track, and bass plays support well.  Though the vocals are a bit processed-sounding, there are some great harmonies.  The end brings harmony to a climax, and everything mixes well into a slightly nostalgic modernistic ending.

            “Winding Road” comes next, and though the opening guitar is a bit irksome in the beginning, the heavily-delay-effected guitar bits more than make up for it.  The chorus is really well-done, and the vocals and guitars mix well.  The bass is nearly imperceptible (on my headphones), but played well.  I feel like this track could work better with less Oasis, and more of the alt-rock influences some of it clearly displays, though it’s still a good song nonetheless.

            “Stand Till You Fall” is the fourth track.  Once again, definite Oasis influence, especially on the guitars.  Drums and percussion work well in the track, though this might be a case of too much guitar.  I know this sounds like an odd description for part of a rock track, but the amount of guitar tracks at times are kind of like having so many great colours in a painting that the overall picture is detracted from.  Fortunately, good bass, an Oasis-style solo, and some great vocal melodies and hooks make it very enjoyable.

            “Little Dreams” is slower, and has a softer sound.  Hooks galore, like much of the EP, and a great guitar solo drenched in warm reverb.  The harmonies are great, and the guitars really drive the track.  There are some acoustics buried in the track, and great bass and drums.  The lyrics are surprisingly good, and sometimes the harmonies remind me of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M.

            “Unpredictable” is another Oasis-style track.  The chorus is the best part, with great harmony and softly overdriven guitars.  Bass feels just right in the mix as well.  The drums are perfectly equalized to be both addictive and not overpowering, and the vocals’ processed-sound actually enhances this one.  It’s a bit like Our Lady Peace, especially their Healthy in Paranoid Times album.  This might be the hit on the EP, because although I wasn’t totally sold in the beginning, by the time the second chorus came, I was happily completely immersed in it, and didn’t want it to end.  The levels are perfect, and instruments cut out just at the right times, to make it addictive to the extreme.

            “Whenever It Rains” is the last track on the EP.  Wonderfully, shoegaze starts the track, and this is the most alternative one on Here There Anywhere Like You.  It really sums up the power of rock, especially for fans of Radiohead’s “Blow Out” (like myself).  Lyrics are good, and drums are classic, in the 90s real-drums sense.  The last line “I’m going out in style” is exactly what this mainly shoegaze track does by ending the EP.

            Overall, this is a very enjoyable EP.  Though occasionally a little heavy on the pop-rock, it’s a strong release, and well-produced, performed, and written.  You can get Here There Anywhere Like You, and the most recent songs by Newglads in CD-quality at http://newglads.bandcamp.com, for pay-what-you-want prices.  Get out your Lennon-style glasses; here comes some new masters of melody.

Conjuntos Cartográficos: Paranormal Perfection

            This is a review of Conjuntos Cartográficos (2012) by Matilda Manzana, and the eighth review here on Track-By-Track.  The title means (according to a rough electronic translation) Cartographic Sets, and I’ll use such electronic translations of titles throughout the review in parentheses.

            This is going to be one of the weirdest albums you’ll ever listen to.  It’s like eating food you never thought was palatable before, in a different country, only to realize that it’s actually much better than what everybody likes in your country.  And this is a fine Mexican sonic dish, by Matilda Manzana (Oscar Rodríguez, who describes himself as a producer/disturbed manipulator of sounds, with some additional musicianship).  When I first heard it, there were a few reactions: One of them was confusion; there really isn’t a broad genre that this album can fit into, let alone the hundreds of sub-genres I've heard of.  Rodríguez coins the term "tropigaze" for some of his songs, though there are many styles on the album.
            Think of it as an experiment between Radiohead, The Orb, and Danger Mouse, working with material co-written by Sonic Youth, Brian Eno, and some amazing flamenco groups who also provide samples of their songs to work with.  And that’s not even close to describing the sound.  It’s just the closest I can get.  This is the first time I’ve ever listened to something that made me feel simultaneously uneasy, queasy, amazed, intrigued, and overall in wonder, in the most positive way those could congeal into an atmospheric and tantalizing jelly.
            And that’s the reason I’m doing this review of an album that at the very least is an alternative release.  There are some alt-rock sounds, of course, mostly masked by hyperactive and hyper-artistic beats and tones, but enough for me to consider it not a purely electronic release; the second-last song definitely has shoegaze elements, and most of the album displays some kinds of alt-rock influences.   Well, let’s see if I can even barely describe the sounds I hear.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The album opens with “Ciencias Naturales” (“Natural Sciences”).  Before going on, I must mention that I don’t understand much more than “si” in Spanish, so I can’t really talk about lyrics, especially in this one with loads of them.  It starts off with strange synths, and a heavy yet lighthearted and clean beat.  Strange whistling and hi-freq synths lead into the part with the vocals.  Lead vocals are sung in an uneasy and emotive style, with extremely airy and sensual backing vocals.  There are fast parts and slow parts, but really, it’s beyond recognition to say I know what at least half of this track is.  Maybe some kind of Latin beat?  The melodic elements play off of slight discord to create a really interesting atmosphere.

            “Pez Espada” (“Swordfish”) has great nylon-string samples, and the lyrics seem to be a sentance repeated over and over.  I feel transported into a Mayan world, even through kazoos and a clean hardcore-edm-style bass kick create even stranger sounds to be enveloped by.  Vocals are very emotive, and it creates a kind of pleasantly-haunted-outdoors-nighttime environment.  Really, listen to it to figure out what comes to your mind, and tell me.

            “Té De Lluvia” (“Tea Rain”) (featuring Fonobisa), is the third track, and this is where even more confusion and wonder sets in.  What sound like either guitar or ukelele loops are swirling in a near-Samba beat; vocals are nearly scared-sounding; and some amazing manipulation of sound makes the track a bit like The Boredoms.  Reverb, major dissonance, and a sound that sticks in the brain like peanut-butter in the mouth.  In a good way.

            “Prismas” (“Prisms”) comes next, and it seems to be about thanking the cosmos.  It’s very positive-sounding, and then comes the temporary break in style half-way through.  Most of the time, there are raindrops of different tones and sounds, and perfectly equalized vocals, but when most of the sounds cut out, there’s a nice bongo and guitar moment that reminds you that you are, in fact, still listening to music and not just the coolest noise that drifts in and out of melody.  Even the end of this track is almost an entirely different song, which is a good way of describing the album: A collection of songs within songs, each part of each one so different that it’s almost inconceivable that anyone was able to find any of them, let alone mix them together.

            “Marula” ("Nipple") is the fifth track, and it’s a bit like second-generation console video-game music.  That is, performed by Air and Sia.  It’s instrumental, though so paradoxically complex yet simple in construction, that it gives a new value to instrumental tracks.  This is called raising the bar for alternative artists to create instrumental tracks that stand on their own without lyrics.

            The title track comes next, and be prepared for more beautiful dissonance.  By this point, the album has transformed the senses into its own world, with soft shoegaze guitars low in the mix, frantic vocals, and a strong electronic beat, and syncopated and conflicting beats and sounds all competing in a chaotic and wonderful amalgamation of music.  This is, I suppose, a kind of alternative rock, because there is some focus on guitar, but it, like everything else on Conjuntos Cartográficos, is unclassifiable, at least by me.  Just keep your ears open for the pastiche of sounds at the end: I won’t explain it away.

            “Aránda” (“Huckleberries”) (featuring Crocat), is a mainly electronic track.  It’s a bit hip-hop, a bit downtempo, and a bit psychedelic.  It has some dreamy vocals, covered in soft reverb, and some guitar on occasion.  Loads of odd noises turned into beats, and some Rhodes organ sounds.

            “Himnos Estudiantiles” (“Student Anthems”) (featuring Installed), starts off with a dark and pretty lo-fi sound, and then the mood is quickly interupped by what sounds like a party of music.  Very Latin, with electronic and acoustic sounds.  The end pleasantly surprised me, with its brief lo-fi folkiness.

            “Debemos Despertar” (“We Must Awaken”), the ninth song, sounds like a love song.  It’s so melodic after the rest of the album, and though the vocals go off-tune for the sake of capturing the emotion of the moment, it’s not a sacrifice in vain.  It’s the calm after the storm, and the chorus is the icing on the cake.  Guitar and bass are wonderfully warm, with soft glancing synths, and a nearly decimated drumbeat.  Just the right levels on everything, and sometimes the vocals really get to me, even though I only think I understand a word of them -- “Gorgeous” being both what I think the word is, and an apt description of the song.

            “Belmopán” (the capitol city of Belize) is a shoegaze song, like somewhere between Slowdive’s Souvlaki and Pygmalion albums.  It doesn’t start out immediately, but vocals and guitar drenched in reverb take over soon enough, and give it an otherworldly sound like looking at multicoloured clouds being reflected in water.  Songs like this are reasons music gourmets never have to do drugs.  It feels a little long before the fast part, but when it speeds up, the sound is all-encompassing.

            “Ciencias Paranormales” (“Paranormal Science”) has oceans of reverb and incredibly soft shoegaze-style guitars.  This one has vocals that sound like they’re through a megaphone, in the beginning.  It’s an alternate version of the first track (or perhaps a continuation), and sounds like a journey through the otherworldly; much like the whole album.  It’s warm and atmospheric, with soft nylon-string guitars, some super-processed piano, and a slower pace as compared to most of Conjuntos Cartográficos.  The end brings some electroacoustic noises to the table for a perfect ending, and even the last note is right in place.

            Overall, Matilda Manzana has created a masterpiece; something that both defies explanation, and encourages it.  After hearing Conjuntos Cartográficos, I’ll never look at music the same way again, and knowing that in some tracks even shoegaze can mix with Latin beats, it’s opened up a new world of exploration for alternative rock as well.  You can stream and download the album (and more) in better-than-CD-quality for pay-what-you-want prices at: http://matildamanzana.bandcamp.com.  Play it in the bath, at outdoor late-night candle-light ghost-parties, or when your face is off your skull, like the album cover.

Blue Haze: Psych-Gaze

            This is a review of the EP Blue Haze (2012) by Wild Eyes, and the seventh review on this blog.

            Instead of talking about how I found yet another amazing band, I'll talk about its sound.  Fans of My Bloody Valentine and psych-rock alike will likely find common ground in enjoying this EP.  It has loads of reverb, but also general alt-rock influences, and melodies to die for.
            This is an inspiring EP, and deserving of mention, despite its barely 14 minute length spread over 4 songs.  Wild Eyes is an LA-based shoegaze band, but their sound doesn’t feel Hollywood-ized (overly pop-ish), with drone vocals and a sound in between a happy kind of more-structured goth-rock, and psychedelic-shoegaze.
            Here’s my TBT:

            “Blue Haze” starts the EP.  The opening is great, and the track carries its shoegaze soul to the max.  I think I hear some resonators in there, though it might just be amazing guitar eq.  Vocals are slightly psych-rock, but they don’t betray the track’s shoegaze roots.  Drums nearly blast the track into a new century, without seeming too fast or high in the mix.  It's probably my favorite track on the EP.

            “Ride” brings together feedback, an energetic (and heavily compressed) drumbeat, soft drone vocals, and great bass and guitar collaboration, and puts them right in the reverb chamber.  It has a certain kind of psychedelia about it, which is a good example of the EP's psychedelic influence or direction.  When feedback is used properly, like in this song, it sounds mind-altering.

            “When It’s Over” is the pop song, if the rest of the album were straight up rock.  MBV-style glide-guitar solos gently raise the chorus’s drone-vox to ecstasy, and the cymbals are just in that perfect frequency (pitch and tempo) zone for addictiveness.  It reminds me of parts of Pink Floyd's Live at Pompeii movie, especially when the lead guitar's single-tone glide-guitar delves into an even deeper atmosphere than the other tracks.

            “Summer” is more indie, and the guitar and vocal eqs shoot down to near-mid-range bandpasses.  Not a lot of high-freq stuff, except the once-again addictive hi-hat.  I wouldn’t have ended on this one, because the other tracks are more complex, both melodically and equalization-wise.  I’m not against indie, but when it comes to shoegaze, it rarely mixes perfectly for my tastes, though it's still worthwhile listening to this song.

            Overall, the EP is a strong psych-shoegaze work, and Wild Eyes is releasing new material later in the month, which, given the consistency of Blue Haze, should be great. You can stream Blue Haze EP for free at http://wildeyestheband.bandcamp.com, and purchase a CD-quality download of it at the same link.