The Asteroid No.4 – Tremble EP

My burgeoning love affair with the world of psyche rock has provided me with so many amazing bands to enjoy. Some even dovetail neatly with my other big musical love affair, shoegaze. Falling squarely into that category are Californians; The Asteroid No.4. They’re a self-described shoegaze, dream pop and psychedelic band. Originally formed in Philadelphia in the late 1990s, they’ve remained an active studio and live act, and are highly thought of on the scene. Since forming, the band has had several lineup changes. Over the last ten years, however, they have consistently included Scott Vitt (vocals, guitar), Eric Harms (guitar) and Matty Rhodes (bass, vocals).  Drummer Mark Tarlton (formerly of Echodrone) joined the band in the Summer of 2020.

As a johnny come lately fan I joined the A4 fan club after buying 2022’s release Tones Of The Sparrow. It was my kind of reverb drenched goodness plus it came out on Club AC30 which is a by word for quality to me.I couldn’t believe it when I found out it was their eleventh album.

Now they return to us, this time joining Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes label, Silver Arrow Records for their new EP; Tremble.

The EP opens with the title track. The song emerges from the feedback already fully formed. An eighties goth style synth piano taps out over powerful fuzzed out guitars. Those trademark reverbed vocals aren’t far behind and we’re away. The French spoken word section really makes this track stand out!

‘Dandelion’ comes in fast and strong off a machine gun drum intro., This is my kinda gaze, loud-quiet-loud. The summery lyrics are a nice contrast to the metallic tones the band are pulling off. As always, the vocals and harmonies provide a warm blanket of reverby goodness to pull it all together.

There’s something about the intro to ‘Sky Blue’ that reminds me of Ride in their prime. The song quickly morphs into a dual vocal delight. When The Asteroid No 4 choose to lighten up their tone and head into dream pop territory they absolutely nail it every time. I mean, just check out the chorus here. It’s utterly euphoric.

It’s right back into psyche territory as we head for ‘Bad Fruit’. The droning intro into those huge chiming guitars just takes you away into another dimension. When the shimmering vocals appear it just locks us in and it’s soaring through space we go.

The EP closes out with a slice of eighties synth pop in ‘Hollyhock Way’. You could almost envisage the band in eighties clobber in the studio recording this. The song skips along, drums absolutely leading the way. Guitars meander in and out, never intruding on the glorious vocal. A beautiful way to finish.

These five songs are reportedly from the Tones of the Sparrow sessions but for me they stand together and bookend that period of the band’s creativity quite neatly.

Head over to The Asteroid No.4 Bandcamp now to grab a copy of the EP digitally or Amazon for a vinyl copy. Finishing on even better news as the band have finalised the recording of what will be their 12th full length album, slated for release in summer, 2024.

Follow The Asteroid No.4 on social media here…

Os Overdoses – All Killers! No Feelers!

Weird story to tell you. So, there I was walking home, it was late and the streets were deserted. All of a sudden, this car screams to a halt beside me and three people jump out grab me and throw me in the boot of the car. Now I find myself in a derelict building tied to a chair with this laptop in front of me. I’ve been told I have to write a review for the debut album from Queens band Os Overdoses. They say the album is called All Killers! No Feelers! and I’m not getting untied. I’ve to type with my nose.

My captors are Janet, Joey and Johnny, three low-life scoundrels from Forest Hills, Queens who are currently exiled in Morto., Portugal, having been pursued by the feds for years due to charges of corrupting the American youth and inciting violent crime.

These days, they tend to channel their psychopathic tendencies in old school rock n’ roll riffing, creepy droning, terrifying lyrics about their experience in the underbelly of organized crime and drum machine rhythms in the place where their former drummers (who have disappeared under mysterious circumstances) used to be. They’re probably dead.

Apparently, I will be too if this review doesn’t kick ass so I best get to it.

The album opens on lead single and statement of intent ‘Fall Guy For Murder’. Programmed lead into a scuzzy and hypnotic guitar riff that layers up to create a mesmerising drone. The title chanted like a cultist’s prayer is as hooky as it gets. “She is going to kill” however is the line I find myself chanting along to. The punky guitar solo to close is the only fitting way to bookend this opening salvo.

‘Grave Business’ maintains that aesthetic of a 50’s doo wop band on meth. It’s a downright dirty sounding track and if you’re not at least tapping your foot along withing a few seconds you must be dead inside. I wouldn’t let the band catch you or you probably will be. I couldn’t help but smile at the nod to ‘Surfin Bird’ as well.

The terrible trio are back at their hypnotic game on ‘Hey Man’. Opening like a lost Nuggets track it grows into a potent garage rock stomper swathed in a multi coloured psychedelic cape. That cyclical guitar riff is the perfect foil to the cosmic modular sounds going off in the background. The vocals get downright threatening at one point which is most apt from my captors. Amazing what can be achieved with two chords and a ton of attitude.

The band lighten things up with ‘Practical Choke’. The programmed beats are augmented with a cool Casio tone synth motif that creates a hook which permeates the whole song. The guitar solo wig out is potent but, unusually, isn’t placed up front in the mix. This really appeals to me as a shoegazer.

The pace drops ever so slightly for the casual swagger through ‘Dead Ringer’. Whilst they maintain that hypnotic two chord approach in the verses, the chorus is a joyous and uplifting sing along. If the band pull a second single from the album, I’d steer them towards this one, that is, if they didn’t have me tied to a chair.

Our anti-heroes are in ebullient form on ‘From Here To Insanity’. Those boy girl vocals playing off each other over a fuzzed-up rock ‘n’ roll opus. I’m amazed how they manage to make each song sound fresh and vital whilst maintain that droning signature vibe. Ther energy levels only get more amped as the song continues, more musical layers joining the throng.

‘Creep In The Deep’ is a sprawling psyche rock jam with some 50’s surf rock touches in that opening section. It’s soon heads down and a slowly intensifying jam takes us home. This will undoubtedly be absolutely electric when seen live.

The album closes out on ‘Rain of Ruin’ which opens like some lost 13th Floor Elevators track, well, if they had a Casio keyboard as a drummer! Guitars come in ten feet tall and dominate from the outset. The bass riff (that is a bass riff, right?) is the essence of cool. If a riff could swagger in, this would be that one. Vocals sway from low growls to high yelps and punctuate the sonic storm. This is undoubtedly my album highlight and the perfect way to end this album and kidnapping.

If ever there was a great snapshot of a band finding and defining there sound it’s All Killers! No Feelers!. There’s a solid pulsing thread of psyche and garage rock throughout that Os Overdoses have formed their musical weapons from. You are going to love this album. You better, If you don’t, you too might find yourself where I am now. Remember Os Overdoses know where you live.

 All Killers! No Feelers! will be released via Socorro Records for EU orders, Dirty Filthy Records for UK orders and Echodelick Records in the US on February 10th.

You can follow Os Overdoses on social media here…

Karkara – Anthropia

After the new release from Slift we are back in Toulouse France with another powerhouse psychedelic rock band. Formed in 2019, Karkara are a psychedelic rock band composed of Karim Rihani (guitar/vocals), Hugo Olive (bass/synth) and Maxime Marouani (drums/vocals).  This amazing band has since played over a hundred concerts in France and Europe and released two albums (‘Crystal Gazer’ in 2019 and ‘Nowhere Land’ in 2020), with UK label Stolen Body Records. Influenced by The Oh Sees, King Gizzard, King Crimson and Black Sabbath. I was lucky enough to catch them live on their last stop off in Glasgow and it was a face meltingly good show. How to describe their music though…… I’ll let the band take this one.

“The power trio delivers a dose of uninterrupted psych rock that’s both furious and hypnotic. Screaming amps, supercharged drums and vocals that blend sweet melancholy with desperate rage. On stage, KARKARA manage to recreate this hypnotic fury, revealing to the audience a sound, an identity and an energy that instantly grabs you by the gut.”

They have just announced their third album and you can count on it that I’ll be back to talk more about that in a later blog. In the meantime, we have teaser single ‘Anthropia’.

It’s cosmic track pondering on an idyllic life somewhere out there. Opening on the coolest riff and chord progression it lays out the key themes of the track before Rihani’s foot hits the trademark Karkara wah wah sound and into the song we go. There’s not an inch of flab on this track, every second vital and propelling the song ever forward. If this is the teaser, I can’t wait to hear the album itself. Enjoy the video here for yourself.

Karkara’s third album, All Is Dust, is due for release on March 22th, through Exag Records (Belgium), Le Cèpe Records (France) and Stolen Body Records (UK).

You can follow Karkara on social media here…

Photo Credits

Jessica Calvo

RABO

Orchids – Orchids

It’s always a pleasure to hear from Belfast musical mastermind Michael Smyth. You’ll know Michael as the ball of energy that plays guitar for shoegazers Virgins. He’s now about to release something really special.

Orchids are a unique project featuring some of the best female/non-binary vocalists from Northern Ireland and brings together some of the finest musicians, producers, engineers, mix and mastering engineers to create an album that stands alone as a creative endeavour.

Here’s what Michael had to say on this amazing project.

“This massive undertaking began following the dissolution of a previous project. I was left with nine recorded songs, featuring Emma Rose on bass and Matthew Milner on drums, but in need of vocals. Unwilling to let these songs wither and die on the vine, I sought a solution that would give the songs the audience they deserved and a way to breathe new life into them.”

“Written with a female vocal in mind, I made the decision to reach out to a number of female/non-binary vocalists from Northern Ireland, inviting them to lend their considerable talents to and feature on a number of different tracks.”

 This sounds like it’s going to be a bit special so let’s dive straight in.

The album opens on the punk fury of ‘Revolution’ featuring the powerhouse vocals of Belfast musician Daisy Johnston. We’re coming out the gate at speed with power chords and machine gun drums. The chorus is a chant of “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be a part of your revolution” which is a quote taken from the anarchist revolutionary Emma Goldman. It’s there that the song morphs into glam rock stomp for that brief moment. It’s really unusual and has made this a real ear worm for me.

Following this Smyth teams up with Melyssa Shannon of Wynona Bleach on ‘Memoria’. There’s no let up in pace as the whip crack of the drums ushers the ferocious guitars in. Shannon is dynamic form delivering a barn storming performance. Smyths off kilter guitar solo adding some slacker texture to the breaks. Shannon owns this song and gives every ounce of herself to the vocal delivery.

This leads us into the relative calm of ‘Hourglass’, the first of three tracks featuring Smyth’s Virgins band mate Rebecca Dow. Dow provides a measured and carefully constructed performance. This is brought into sharp focus in the break where Smyths forlorn howl contrasts with her on the button, sharp as a tack delivery.

Dow appears again leading the way on ‘Run’ next. This one leans into that shoegaze aesthetic that we’re so used to hearing her in as lead singer of Virgins. It’s the drums that first caught my ear here though. Milners speedy rolls through the verses explode into half time flourishes in the choruses. And man, those choruses. They are huge, a wall of fuzz suddenly envelopes you and throws you around mercilessly.  Is that I xylophone I hear in the mix latterly too? Another really nice textural choice to contrast with the heaviness of the chorus.

Next up is my album stand out track, ‘Mannequin’. Stepping up to then mic this time it’s Siânna from Tramp. Their voice is unlike anything I’ve heard before. A truly unique style that leans into their accent to create something other worldly. The track is bass led leaning into that post hardcore vibe. Guitars chiming over verses and erupting over the choruses. Lyrically Sianna has this to say. “These are thoughts from inside the AFAB (assigned female at birth) body about ways we are still unfree.  With the lyrics immediately painting imagery of ‘the Red-Light District”. This is a thrilling track start to finish and I always go back and play, just one more time, on each listen.

‘Do Better’ next brings in the vocal talents of Clodagh May. It’s a taught and vital rebuke of virtue signalling, self-righteousness and band wagoning when it comes to women and LGBTQ+ rights. Musically the band keep it simple allowing May’s lyrics and performance to firmly take the lead. It’s a propulsive riff laden track that really opens up on those massive choruses. It’s no wonder this was chosen as a single.

Frances Ellen of Effie fronts up for ‘Sins’. Her voice bringing a lighter, emotional more direct link to the message behind the song. Guitars are reined in to a more jangly sound to be an appropriate foil for Ellen’s stunning voice. I particularly love the guitar solo, losing none of its impact through dialling back the fuzz. The production choices on ‘Sins’ are genius and really speak to skill of the team pulling all this together.

‘Smile’ sees the return of Melyssa Shannon of Wynona Bleach. This song is perfect for her style of singing. She’s a born rock star and she gets the opportunity to display her complete range here. Musically the song really teases us before unleashing its full force in the chorus. Verses are taught and loaded with tension before the chorus kicks in like a steel toe capped kiss.

The album closes out with the return of Rebecca Dow one last time for ‘And Ghosts’. There’s more than a nod to the ballads of the eighties in those guitars over the expansive verses. As the chorus appears the gazey tones bring us bang up to date. Performances are on point throughout only befitting the final track of an album of this quality.

Orchids is a stunning release that showcases both the vitality in the Northern Irish alternative music scene at the moment whilst providing some much-needed social commentary. When musicians lean into socio political themes the tendency can be let the lyrics carry the song. Not so with Orchids. With some serious talent behind the scenes namely Smyth, Rose and Milners performances not to mention the mixing talents of Jonny Woods, the music partners the lyrics. They join hands and lift this album even higher. That’s the power of these tracks, you don’t just listen to this album. You feel it.

Orchids is out on January 31 on Spotify.

You can follow Orchids on social media here…

Bride – Paralysis

It’s not often I get the chance to shout about one of our local bands but today I get to do just that. Hailing from Inverclyde, Bride have just released their latest single and you need to hear it.

The band was formed in 2021 by Aedan Mcvey and Charlie McQueen (guitarists) who both shared the same interests in music. In the following months, Lewis Rorrison (drums) and Luke Harkins (bass) joined, and Caragh Power (singer) joined in September 2022 completing the 5-piece band.

This latest single, ‘Paralysis’ is only the bands third single after ‘Lost Cause’ and ‘Tuesday Nights’. Both previous singles are absolute belters and have generated a lot of buzz around these parts. Theres a raw and loose feel that bands from the west coast of Scotland excel at but that’s only first impressions. When you really get into these tracks there’s a strong shoegaze and post punk influence that really speaks to me.

‘Paralysis’ is about the subject of sleep paralysis and how Power really struggles with it. Caragh commented ‘The song talks about the fear of the subject but how over time, it can become less of a fear and more of a routine’.

That wash of reverb across the guitars in the intro hark back to eighties new wave or goth bands but when Powers vocal enters the mix it’s obvious this is no nostalgia trip. Bride make great use of dynamics throughout this number, dropping down to bass and drums before Powers primal scream ushers the band back in again.

This song deserves to be a smash for the band and it’s left me dying to hear more from Bride. I hope an album isn’t too far away. If anything, I’m just happy to know I’m not the only shoegazer in the village.

You can listen to ‘Paralysis’ on your favourite streaming service now.

You can follow Bride on social media here.

Photo credit

Keira Walker

Slift – Ilion

Not that long ago now a good friend of mine pointed me to a YouTube video of a KEXP session. I hadn’t heard of the band before but I kinda like exploring new sounds so I popped my headphones in and hit play. The session was recorded at the Trans Musicales festival in Rennes and that band were Slift. That video of a live performance of the title track from their Ummon album blew my tiny mind. How could a three-piece band produce this all-consuming wall of sound? That video, I later discovered, had become a viral sensation racking up more than 1.4 million YouTube views. Deservedly so. I absolutely devoured their back catalogue and have been eagerly awaiting what they were going to do next.

SLIFT is made up of brothers Jean and Remí Fossat and Canek Flores, who first met the brothers Fossat at school. With two studio and one live album under their belts they’ve now made the move to Sub Pop after their successful singles club release with the label in late 2023. Their third album is now out and is called Ilion after the Ancient Greek word for the city of Troy and, conceptually speaking, picks up where UMMON left off. The band describe the album as follows.

“This is an album constructed in the manner of a Homeric story. Where the two records differ is that Ilion is about human emotions and feelings, whereas Ummon was telling an epic story with a distant view. Ilion represents the fall of humanity and the rebirth of all things in time and space.”

Each of the eight tracks on show is expansive, with the exception of one track all clock in upwards of eight minutes. Let’s dive in and get lost in this new world Slift have created for us.

We open on the title track, Jean Fosset’s primal vocal as ever providing the biting point that the song hangs on. It’s his brothers stunning bass work that caught my ear immediately. It sounds like they’ve joined Led Zep for a moment. It’s that trademark Slift wall of noise that carries us into the album. Briefly punctuated by a calming Kosmische interlude before we are called back to the action again with the war cry from Jean. By the time we reach the closing moments we’ve entered Black Sabbath territory which leads us neatly into the next track.

It’s with a 70’s prog flourish that we enter headlong at full speed into ‘Nimh’. Again, just listen to the bass create the complex framework for the heavy guitars to play on. That ascending chord sequence, (you’ll know it when you hear it) just gets me buzzing every time. This feels like a journey at breakneck speed through the galaxy and into the void. The almost ambient break in the middle felt like emerging from a black hole into some new existence before the band return, doomier and sludgier than before to welcome us to our new reality.

A galactic clock ticking ushers in ‘The Words That Have Never Been Said’. Not for long though, Jean’s roar leads the charge as the band appear, all at once, amps set to infinity. Things soon settle into a more jazzy, more free flowing form. With Flores rolling around his toms and the dancing around the songs core structure it’s not long before we slow down to an atmospheric breakdown before returning, more furious than ever to the animated and lively spaced-out sounds. There’s something intoxicating about that rolling rhythm, ever shifting and undulating. This song casts a spell over the listener and has you in it’s thrall until the closing notes.

Things lean into jazz territory with the serpentine sax solo opening ‘Confluence’. It’s epic space jazz though. What we have is the sound of the cosmos passing by as we exit the milky way for destinations unknown. When Jean’s spiralling guitar kicks in its almost in complete sympathy to the sax part, as if passing the baton in some intergalactic relay. That slowly evolves ushering in a harder sound to close out.

The band wind the clock back to mediaeval times with the druidic chanting of ‘Weavers Weft’. This feels like a very modern take on seventies prog. The psychedelia is turned up to the max whilst ramping up the utter ferocity of the guitar textures. It almost enters doom metal territory in places. Always pulling back though to allow the core themes of the song shine through. This track is the sound of the band revelling in experimentation and it really suits them.

‘Uruk’ begins with the eeriest of riffs. Like some long-lost soundtrack to a forgotten horror movie. Remi takes up vocal duties allowing his higher register to add to the atmosphere of mystery and supernatural shenanigans. Jean’s guitar sounds different here. In the quieter movements its thinner and more vulnerable than usual. However, when this song explodes that impenetrable sonic assault returns and we are helpless to it.

The 12-minute odyssey that is ‘The Story That Has Never Been Told’ begins innocently enough. Spaced out synths and lightly picked out guitar plays foil to the brother’s chorister like vocals. Guitars start to ramp up into a ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ like arpeggio laden delivery. The band never venture into that doom metal sound across the expanse of this track which really makes it leap out the speakers. Especially that frenetic and joyous closing section. The sheer abandon is infectious and you are just swept up and taken along for the ride.

The album closes out on a highly experimental piece of electronica. ‘Enter the Loop’ throws us one final curveball as the band create a dense soundscape populated by arrhythmic drums, washes of modular synth and metallic feedback.  It’s so alien and unnerving. Slift choose to leave us on edge and wondering what we have just experienced. It’s a bold and ballsy way to close out an album and I applaud them for it.

Ilion is yet another statement album from Slift. This band have always been sonic explorers but on Ilion that exploration has taken them to somewhere I don’t think they even though they would end up. This isn’t one of those albums you can just pop on and enjoy a side of. This album demands your full attention because, like it or not, you’re going on a journey to places you never even knew existed. There’s so much to enjoy here for fans of post rock, shoegaze, psyche, prog,,, hell, even folk music. You owe it to yourself to put aside one hour and 19 minutes of your day to disappear into the grooves of this album. Who knows where it’ll take you.

Ilion is out now on Sub Pop Records. There’s a few lovely vinyl variants as well as CD and digital options too.

You can follow Slift on social media here…

Upcoming Tour Dates

Sun Shines Cold – Until The End EP

Welcome to the beginning of another year here on Static Sounds Club. I’m kicking off 2024 with an EP I have been really enjoying over my Xmas, Birthday and New Year break.

Regular readers will remember us discussing Scottish goth-tinged gazers Sun Shines Cold a few months back as they launched their debut album Echoes of a Former Life. The band have the power of Jesus and Mary Chain with subtlety and atmospherics of bands like Joy Division and The Cure. To close out 2023 the band decided to revisit four of their most popular singles for the remaster treatment as well as including two new songs for the Until The End EP.

I asked Colan Miles from the band to give us the lowdown on the EP.

“1991 Recordings set up a Bandcamp page for remixes remasters and joint ventures between artists. John (Wellby) suggested he remastered some of our early work for a release on this page and we decided that it would be good to add a couple of new tracks with a similar instrumental post rock/gaze vibe.”

“We picked ‘Blind’ and ‘Forty-Five’ as they were our first releases and were never really mastered anyway. ‘Lights’ because the instrumental is more powerful than the vocal version and ‘Silver’ because it was an afterthought put on the end of our Black of Beyond EP however when we released the video it got 65,000 plays on YouTube. We know we must have lucked out on an algorithm but it seems quite a few folks liked it. We think the remasters give the tracks a real lift.”

The EP opens with two new songs. First up is the title track. To my mind the bands most accomplished composition to date. Theres a great use of dynamics throughout as we veer from chiming goth guitars into a fuzzed-out wall of sound. Its stadium sized throughout and when that chorus section hits, it hits hard. The two guitar lines play off each other beautifully creating a real ear candy moment.

That’s followed by ‘Where We End and You Begin’. We enter post rock territory with the slow burn of the atmospheric intro section slowly blossoming into the chiming call and response of the guitars. The closing moments, a quiet crescendo, a fitting end to this beautiful number.

‘Silver’ opens on the effected bass, echoing some lost Cure song or Cocteau Twins moment. The guitars and drums working in tandem to build the foundation for the wash of reverb. Like a great wave hitting the shore the song explodes into life and ebbs and flows, much like the tide.

From the ocean to the wintery expanse of ‘Lights’ next as the glacial synths and guitars build an icy world of spiky guitar and sheets of thunderous bass. This is one of the most dramatic Sun Shines Cold tracks with its very definite drum beat and contrasting guitar lines playing off each other.

‘Forty Five’ warms things up with its gentile opening section like the embers of a fire. The moment this track catches flame and bursts into the most majestic bonfire of tumbling synths and guitar. It really takes your breath away.

The EP closes on the forward leaning ‘Blind’. This driving track leads with a pulsing bassline before the rest of the band slowly join in to create a real journey of a song. You feel the passage of miles as we travel at speed through the undulating tones and catchy riffs. It’s a great way to finish because you’re left wanting more and that means heading back to the start for another play.

The Until The End EP is, once again, a powerful collection of songs that only reinforce the high regard I hold for Sun Shines Cold. The darkness in their music is always tempered by an optimistic note which always catches me unawares making me smile.

You can grab a digital copy of the Until The End EP from the 1991 Recordings Bandcamp page now.

You can follow Sun Shines Cold on social media here…

Lushen Tides – Perfect Moments

As someone who is in a DIY shoegaze band himself, I really appreciate it when like-minded souls reach out with their projects. I was so happy to hear from Jonathan Lee, a self-professed lone gazer from Derbyshire in England. He has just released his debut album under the name Lushen Tides.

Perfect Moments is, at its heart, Lee’s love letter to shoegaze. He has had some help from guest vocalists Angie Henton and Anna Sharpe Jones as well as some bass guitar from Alan Brown. On the whole though this is essentially all his own work. Lee had this to say.

“I adore the concept of Shoegaze. Fuzz drenched guitars, dreamy distant vocals and heavily processed beats, all mixing together to form an incredibly rich sonic wall of lush harmonics. I believe I have captured this shoegaze essential essence fully in the tracks presented on Perfect Moments and can’t wait to share it with the world at large. “

Sounds like its going to be right up my street, Lets dive in and find out.

The album kicks off with lead single ‘Things Fall Apart’. A static filled intro suddenly drops to silence and an epic soundscape erupts from the speakers that takes the breath from you. The balance between breathy vocals and the pounding assault of the bass led guitars is spot on. I love how he layers in a screeching feedback squall which quickly becomes fundamental to the melody. Very clever stuff.

That bass assault continues into ‘Lysheen’. What occurs to me immediately is, Robin Guthrie would kill for this song. It feels like the perfect blend between that dreamy Cocteau Twins sound and Lee’s own brand of sonics. This is where music is at its most exciting, that blending of approaches, genres and styles. This album is off to an incredible start.

It’s the turn of the title track next, taking the pace way down. You would be mistaken though if you thought a slower song would be any less intense. That all-consuming fuzz is the gauze through with the song peers, emerging like the sun from behind storm clouds. That decision to put the wall of fuzz front and centre is inspired and is very much the Lushen Tides brand.

‘Red Sea Corpses’ is powerful, punchy track blending a dreamy descending guitar line against a booming, melodic bassline. The chorus is particularly affecting. Lee pleads “Don’t look at the sea, please” over this guitar line which reaches a glorious crescendo sending the song heavenwards.

We enter a neon lit futurescape for ‘Rise and Fall’. Adopting a synthwave angle feels entirely appropriate. Lee proves himself incredibly adept at crafting that warm and sultry sound making it all his own. Theres a grand instrumental breakdown mid-way through which gives you goosebumps when it resolves back into the song again.

‘Colder’ is a song of contrasts. The harsh static driven wall of noise versus the calm a beautifully delivered vocal. Not to mention the moments of calm mid song and at the end. The one binding factor, the glue holding it all together is the melodic bassline. Driving the whole song along.

In a similar vein comes ‘Talk to Me’. I can see why these songs are next to each other. This almost feels like a response to the claustrophobia of ‘Colder’. Its grand chorus, all sweeping synth chords are a release, an escape into the skies. Flying high and free.  

Keeping us on our toes next comes the almost ballad, ‘Runaway’. I say almost as for the most part this is a luscious dreamy, woozy number. Then, out of the ether bursts that fuzzed out guitar sound, punctuating our dream. It’s only momentary as the dreamy tones return lulling us back to our dreams. Oh, but it’s not over, that final minute is epic!! I’ll say no more but that caught me out and had me smiling ear to ear!

There’s an undercurrent of psychedelia in ‘Sudden Light Shines’. A combination of its cyclical, hypnotic bassline and swirling guitars. Theres no other word for this song but massive. You’re gonna need bigger speakers.

The album closes out with ‘Truth or Lies’. A sprawling, atmospheric bookend to the album. The absence of any drums, and with the bass taking more of a backseat, allow the guitars to shine. And shine they do, glistening and shimmering in equal measure. This is a glorious way to close off this stunning collection of songs.

I said earlier that this album is Lee’s love letter to shoegaze, but it’s more than that. As you listen through Perfect Moments you can tell that Lee has a deep and profound understanding of genre. Not only that but all the sub genres from dreampop, through synthwave and more. It’s all here. All wrapped up in his own unique take. Having your ‘own sound’ as a shoegaze artist is a bit of a holy grail. As someone who’s chased that sound for decades I can attest to Lee’s success in that search.

Perfect Moments is out now and available from the Lushen Tides Bandcamp page.

Follow Lushen Tides on social media here…

93millionmilesfromthesun – Buried Dreams EP

Doncaster’s 93MillionMilesFromTheSun have been responsible for some key shoegaze moments over the years. From 2008’s self-titled debut all the way up to album eight, Why Do We Fall Apart their music has been the soundtrack to many a gazers life. As you may know the magician behind the curtain is Nick Noble, a multi-instrumentalist who’s as talented as he is humble.  

Ahead of the release of album number nine in the new year he’s set to release the Buried Dreams EP. He’s recruited some help in the form of Jase Burns, Richard Myers and John Wellby to fill out the sound on this one and is releasing it on the fast-rising 1991 Recordings label. All signs are pointing towards this being a bit special. Only one way to find out.

We open on the title track and its an expansive, moody behemoth of a song. The My Bloody Valentine vibes are strong which appeals to me no end. The simplicity of the chords only makes the ever-increasing layers of fuzz more impactful as the song progresses. It’s a powerful opener and sets the scene well.

The pace remains low bpm as we head into ‘Our Love Begins’. This tightly wound number trades vocoder lines against walls of guitars and synths bringing to mind latter day Mogwai. It’s a really sultry, smoky number that grabs you from the opening notes until the final wash of reverb fades out.

The gothic tinged Through ‘The Blink Of An Eye’. Revolving a hypnotic three chord cycle it webs and flows whilst layer upon layer of fuzz is added bringing it to life. Noble had this to say about the song.

“This track I’ve had for a while and it was just a repetitive instrumental that I thought had something but didn’t really know what to do with. A guy who I work with, Roy had been coming round to the studio and he had this part that he thought would work so we tried it and that became the middle bit. We re-recorded it and I added vocals right at the end. I’m pretty sure this would still be sat on my hard drive if it wasn’t for Roy’s input. He also came up with the title.”

Next up ‘Hold On’ just explodes out the speakers with a bassline that absolutely shook me to my back teeth. This is one potent track that will absolutely kill when played live. It just drives ever forward and the blend of synths and layered guitars are perfectly balanced. It’s utterly captivating making it my EP highlight.

The EP closes with a reprise of the title track. Centred around looped reversed section of the song it brings a fresh energy and optimistic vibe to the song. It’s the comforting effect of your favourite shoegaze album all wrapped up in one song. No mean feat and the perfect way to close out this fabulous EP.

If this is any indicator of what’s to come then I can’t wait to hear the new 93millionmilesfromthesun in the new year. Releasing at this time of year can always be fraught as everyone focuses on their end of year lists. This EP succeeds though because it leans into that need for comfort and warmth that we all feel in the run up to the festive season. It’s a really smart move and will pay dividends for the band. I’ve been playing this EP multiple times daily since it landed here at the clubhouse and I won’t be stopping any time soon.

The Buried Dreams EP is out now on 1991 Recordings and is available from their Bandcamp page now.

You can follow 93millionmilesfromthesun on social media here…

SERVO – Monsters

Long time readers of the blog will know how happy I am when I get an email from those maggots over at Dirty Filthy Records. Today see’s the release of Monsters, the third album from French three-piece SERVO. To date the band have released their debut opus The Lair of Gods before going on release their second album, Alien, via the good folks at Fuzz Club.

Comprised of Arthur Pierre (guitar/vocals), Louis Hebert (bass/vocals) and Hugo Magontier (drums/vocals) the band have a clear agenda with their music.

“The music is to serve the live. Create a powerful and immersive show. Each track is blessed by brutality and heaviness. An assault of trance-inducing noise and blinding flashes of light”

You know me, I love my music heavy so let’s drop the needle and see where it takes us.

The album opens on the downright filthy ‘Island’. The squall of feedback and discordant notes ushers in a hypnotic pulsing behemoth of a track. This is dark stuff with that uses dynamics in the mix to great effect. That false stop is really impactful. Pierres vocals varies from quite matter of fact delivery to screaming at the top of his lungs.

We emerge into ‘Glitch 2.1’ amped up and ready for it. This one feels like it’s constantly on the very brink of chaos, of exploding into the ether. The verses pare it back but the threat remains, looming in the shadowy darkness. When it does explode into screaming, it’s only a transitory moment but it leaves you breathless.

SERVO aren’t letting the pace up. ‘Day and Night Monsters’ comes tearing in all wonky bass and motorik drums. There are shades of Idles in the vocal delivery. The chorus is like this moment of unity in the chaos of the maelstrom. The groups voices joining together to chant the song title.

That unity continues next as ‘Interlude’ comes in like some modern monastic prayer. It’s like a palate cleanser before we get ready to throw ourselves headfirst back into the fray.

And the fray is in full effect on ‘Peaks’. A call and response between the duotone of the bass and the cosmic energy of the guitar. The vocals are more otherworldly than anything so far on the album. It’s a really unique approach and makes this my album highlight.

A metallic, industrial sounding percussion leads us into ‘Stadium’. The bass, all fuzzed out creates the foundation for the band to create a really smooth and silky track. When the fuzz disappears, the bass is revealed in all its glory. Swear to god I had to double check it wasn’t Jah Wobble. If you’re looking for a first track to explore, I’d highly recommend this one.

‘Thank You/Maniac’ lulls you into false sense of security with a chilled synth arpeggio before pummelling your senses from every angle. Again, check out the acrobatic basslines on show here. Absolutely blinding stuff from Hebert. I can imagine this one being particularly riotous when performed live.

That false start thing is employed again on ‘Who Else Likes Surprises’. This sounds like a song Joy Division could’ve made if they had more emphasis on the joy. It’s just so dynamic with loads going on to keep your ear tuned in, you just never know what’s going to happen next. This is exceptional stuff.

The album closes out on the sprawling epic that is ‘Giants’. Once again, I challenge you to try and keep up with this one. The bass and guitars constantly growling at each other like two stray dogs fighting over a bone. Vocals veering from that spoken style to the gothic crooning before exploding into full on screamo. Even the full stop of an ending caught me off guard. I’m genuinely breathless after that one.

SERVO have created an outstanding album that veers from that dark, post-punk noise-rock sound through heavy psych rock into almost 80’s goth. It’s a furiously paced album and demands your full attention as it throws curve ball after curve ball at you. What strikes me more than anything though is the life in these songs. They are full of the joy of creation and performance leading me to believe that this is a band you will want to catch live.

Monsters is out now, released in conjunction with EXAG Records, Le Cepe Records and Dirty Filthy Records.

You can follow SERVO on social media here…

Photo Credit

Carine Mansire

Julie Jarosz