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…

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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

Melody Fields – 1991

In my previous blog I explored 1901, the new album from Gothenburg’s Melody Fields. They have now dropped 1991 the second of their albums to release this year. What can we expect from the band this time around? Here’s what they had to say.

“1991 takes a different approach as a concept album that evolved from late-night jam sessions, experimental sounds, and danceable music. It presents four collaborations including contributions from GOAT and Al Lover, which inject new life into the original composition ’Jesus’ from the previous album, 1901. The collaborations offer fresh perspectives and invigorating interpretations, breathing new energy into the music and allowing it to evolve further.”

This sounds like it’s going to be a completely different creature altogether. Only one way to find out, let’s drop the needle.

From the very opening refrain of ‘Hallelujah we’re transported to the early nineties. Luscious synths and housey house pianos set this one dead centre of the dancefloor in the Hacienda. Somehow the band maintain that psychedelic edge throughout defining this as a Melody Fields song. Vocals never reach the front of the mix adding to that trippy, hypnotic effect. This is a bold new direction and one the band own every second of. What could so easily have slipped into nostalgia porn instead becomes a celebration of that time that transcends the years.

The closing bars feature that ever-familiar glide guitar effect I love so much. That segues neatly into the utterly euphoric ‘Blasphemy’. For an old shoegazer like me this track had me smiling ear to ear throughout. The synth melody in the verse sections is such a bright and shiny contrast to those pulsing and grinding guitars. This is the very essence of that 1991 shoegaze sound and I could listen to it all day.

Next up is a dub / house reworking of ‘Jesus’ from previous album 1901. That powerful horn section now a serpentine, languid synth pad. Vocals more muted now, as if heard from a distance. Front and centre it’s drums and bass all the way retooling this number for the late-night dance floor.

‘Dandelion’ comes in all pounding drums and guitar riffing. The sixties psychedelic sound looms large in the vocal delivery and sitar-like guitar soloing. I am immediately thinking of Fifth Dimension era Byrd’s recordings which is my favourite era of their output. It’s that cool circular guitar riff that is the thread that everything else is relying on. It’s a great lesson in less is more.

‘Talking With Jesus’ presents a late night take on ‘Jesus’. This is very much post party in the chillout room. I can see this popping up in a future Back to Mine compilation. The laid-back approach carries us off to smoke filled rooms populated with the diehards from the party. Wringing every last moment of the night before mornings light sends us home again.

There’s a shift in tone next with ‘Diary of a Young Man’. Like a souped-up 13th Floor Elevators meets the Mary Chain. It’s a super saturated track dominated by the scuzzy, fuzzed out guitars and almost tribal drumming when in the final minute it all disappears, replaced with a distant lone female voice in the wilderness. Which acts a neat segue into ‘Bhagavana Najika Cha’.

This is a wonderful mash up of eastern influenced psyche with the cosmic, spacey explorations of space rock. The eerily echoing chants of the vocals weave into the flute and screaming guitars. This track really keeps you on your toes as it twists and turns its way along.

As it winds down, we head into the final rework out for ‘Jesus’. ‘Son of Man’ strips it right back to shaker and bass as it begins with only the essential horns making their presence felt from the original. Vocals have been heavily treated and panned out while a tinkling toy piano has been added for some new textures. It’s the perfect chilled way to close out this cracking album.

1991 could be viewed as a companion piece to 1901 however I think that’s looking at simplistically. Yes, there are a few remixes on here but the inclusion of ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Blasphemy’ for me make this an essential listen any day of the week. Melody Fields have been incredibly generous in my opinion, listened to back-to-back these two albums are practically flawless. Make sure you go and grab your copies before they completely sell out because, trust me, when word gets around, they will fly.

1991 is out now via Coop Records and Nudie Records. Head on over to the Melody Fields Bandcamp page to check it out for yourself.

You can follow Melody Fields on social media here…

Melody Fields – 1901

Once again, I find myself with a band who have released two amazing albums hot on the heels of each other. Swedish psych outfit Melody Fields have just released both 1901 and 1991 within a mere month of each other. I’ll get into talking about 1991 on the next blog but right now let’s explore 1901.

Melody Fields released their self-titled debut album in 2018 to rave reviews. It’s 60’s-tinged atmosphere made it a surefire hit leaving us wondering what would come next. Not content with merely reproducing that sound on these albums Melody Fields have expanded their sonic palette. The band had this to say.

“Our primary album, ‘1901’ can be best described as a rock album with psychedelic influences. It showcases repetitive guitar riffs, distorted soundscapes, and mesmerising three-part harmony vocals. Throughout these musical landscapes, we were fortunate to collaborate with guest musicians from esteemed bands such as GOAT and Holy Wave, who added an extra layer of sonic brilliance to the album.”

This sounds like an absolute treat for the ears. Let’s drop the needle and dive in.

The album opens on the sprawling and textured ‘Going Back’. The harmony vocal delivery is spot. Guitars full of eastern promise and the most hypnotic bassline. This is such a visual track; it transports you away to some far-flung desert to trek for miles through the hazy heat. Magical start to proceedings.

We segue neatly into ‘Jesus’ next. Horns blare as the song emerges fully formed and full of intent. The boy/girl vocals are delivered with the utmost cool while the band deliver their backing with real swagger. It’s that motif played by the brass section though that makes this song something really special.

As ‘Rave On’ bursts on to the speaker I’m reminded of the theme from the original BBC series of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It’s a grand and sweeping melody that washes over us, lifting us up and carrying us off on our next sonic adventure. There’s so much to enjoy here. Layers of sounds and a stunning mix really reward repeated listens.

This is followed by the eerie tone poem ‘Mellanväsen’. It’s a moody synth driven Kosmische piece that acts as the perfect bridge between the full-on sunshine psychedelia of ‘Rave On’ and what follows.

And what follows is a revelation. ‘Transatlantic’ is a stunning track, full of experimental moments that lean into the more industrial and Kosmische genres but with an overall Madchester vibe. There’s an on the nose reference to Screamadelica towards the end, but rather than feeling tacked on it feels like a natural evolution of this track. In that one word, evolution, is the power of ‘Transatlantic’. It never stays still; more and more layers are added over its runtime until it resolves itself back into silence.

We return to the technicolour psychedelic sound on ‘Home at Last’. The drums add a sense of nervous energy that keeps everyone on their toes. Guitar / Sitar loops around and around the melody while the vocals punch through with their harmonised attack. Always restless, always moving along this is a lesson in this bands ability to make epic, cinematic soundscapes based on the simplest riffs and lyrics.

Following is the potent ‘Indian MC’ the two to ‘Home at Last’s one. These two songs feel like they were born together and went slightly different directions. Much more lyrically dense this employs a much heavier drum and bass track lending it a more serious vibe. The vocal harmonies are much more intricate and strike a very European tone which I love.

‘Void’ is another transitory tone poem punctuating the segue between tracks. Aptly named the spacey sounds echoing around an almost non-existent synth soon blossom to lead us into the light of ‘In Love’.

The band turn all the amps up to eleven on this one summoning their inner Mary Chain. This is a fuzz lovers delight and the gospel-tinged vocals coupled with the ferocious attack of the guitars makes for an absolute monster of a track.

The album closes out on the mellow moods of ‘Mayday’. Fans of Spiritualized will adore this one. The wonky guitars are the perfect foil to the exact and precise melody of the vocals. It ambles along before resolving into an increasingly intense series of synth squelches and swoops and then ……nothing. And it’s all over.

Melody Fields are leading the way with 1901. There brand of neo psychedelia isn’t just rooted in one genre. It leans into and borrows from many broad and diverse influences to create that signature sound. This is an album that will reveal more of itself each time you listen, which for me is the hallmark of a band that really cares.

1901 is out now on Coop Records and Nudie Records. Head on over to the Melody Fields Bandcamp page to check it out for yourself.

You can follow Melody Fields on social media here…

Crystal Canyon – Stars and Distant Light

Crystal Canyon are a shoegaze band from Portland, Maine in the US of A.  They create atmospheric and dreamy soundscapes with lush vocals, swirling guitars, and ethereal synths. To date they’ve released two stellar albums (in this guy’s opinion), Crystal Canyon from 2018 and yours with affection and sorrow from 2021. Both showcase the bands versatility and evolutionary spirit, the latter being one of my all-time favourites of the genre.

The band: Lynda Mandolyn, Todd Hutchisen, Jeremy Smith and Nate Manning now return with their new album, Stars and Distant Light. They came at this album from a different angle than their previous two releases. Mandolyn has this to say.

“Well, the pandemic had a hand in it. We just kept working. I also credit the addition of drummer Nate Manning driving the sound more than on previous albums. We worked on demos and from 17 we whittled it down to the nine best songs. Also, everyone collaborated on this album with the writing”

With quality control that high it looks like we’re in for a treat. Let’s drop the needle and see what they have in store for us.

The album opens on the glorious noise of ‘Dreamray’. Guitars wail against Mandolyn’s vivid vocals. Theres a great use of dynamics between verse and chorus with an additional layer of guitars coming in to send the song soaring. It’s a great comfort to hear this track first as it really doubles down on Crystal Canyons reputation as guardians of the gaze. Everything you could want from a shoegaze track is here and more. What a way to start!

Next up is dreamy single ‘Belt of Orion’. If ever someone was made to sing this song it was Lynda Mandolyn. Her floaty vocal drives the mood with the guitars dialling back their attack to jangle their lively backing. One thing that remains constant though is the precise and impactful drumming. Almost like punctuation it lifts everything to a different level.

Up next is the short but really beautiful interlude that is ‘Pulsars and Magnetars’. For those of you unsure, pulsars and magnetars are both types of neutron stars, which are basically the cores of giant stars left over when the stars themselves go supernova. There’s a celestial quality to the backing that makes you feel like you’re floating in the furthest reaches of space. Lonely and staring out at the vast nothingness. An absolute nugget of a song.

We’re back at pace next with the single ‘Judy Moody’. It’s head down and full throttle into the hurricane of guitars and thrashing drums. As always though, at the core is a catchy pop song driving this unrelenting aural assault. I can only imagine this is going to set off the mosh pit when played live.

The sumptuous intro to ‘Sierra’ welcomes us with a big hug next. The gentle sway of the track hooks you in and you find yourself nodding along, eyes closed soaking it in. Theres an iridescent glow to the production which only further endears the song to my ears. Written as a tribute to the late, great Julee Cruise it would undoubtedly have been loved by her.

My album highlight comes in like a wrecking ball next. ‘Catatonia’ fuses that extreme glide guitar of shoegaze with the spry melody of a power pop song. Its utterly celebratory and euphoric. It grabs you by the collar, lifts you up and plasters the biggest smile on your face. You’ll read elsewhere how this song references the big three bands of 90’s shoegaze but for me this is pure Crystal Canyon. Just listen to that psychedelic guitar solo near the end. The effervescent bassline and relentless drums. Sure, all shoegaze owes a thanks to those 90’s bands but the best modern shoegaze bands, of which Crystal Canyon very much are, plough their own furrow and deserve the kudos for doing just that.

‘Cobra Aurora’, as if proving my point, simultaneously straddles that alt-rock and shoegaze divide with ease and an assured confidence. When you’re trading in hooks and riffs as potent as these you can afford to relax into your performances. The band sound completely in the zone, every moment given the swagger and aplomb it deserves.

The hooks keep on coming with the spaced-out cosmic vibes of ‘Penelope, The Odyssey’. The chiming synth is a nice addition to the band’s sonic arsenal. It only adds to the impact of the punchy intro, the swoon some vocals and dreamy guitars. Man, this band have choruses for weeks.

The album comes to a close with ‘Center of The Universe’, a sprawling ballad that allows the band to add some space into their music. The resulting track thusly feels the perfect summary of all we’ve heard so far. Lyrics talk of the heavens and synth washes remind me of sci fi soundtracks of my youth. It doesn’t feel so much like a full stop but rather like leaving orbit and floating off into the galaxy.

With Stars and Distant Light Crystal Canyon have created and then curated us a slice of heavenly perfection. The songs feel thematically familial whilst maintaining their own uniqueness. As someone who listened the grooves out of his copy of yours with affection and sorrow , I’m just so happy the band have once again given us an album where we can get lost and disappear into the music. This time, however, we get lost in the kaleidoscopic universe of sound where Crystal Canyon call home.

Stars and Distant Light is out now and available digitally and on vinyl via Crystal Canyons Bandcamp page.

You can follow Crystal Canyon on social media here…

PREMIERE: Japan Review – Go Around

As a Scot its always great when I can shout out fellow Scots work here on Static Sounds Club. It’s to Glasgow we go to meet Japan Review. Composed of Genna Foden and Adam O’Sullivan this talented duo produces an intriguing blend of genres. That shoegaze wash mingles with lo fi beats and an undercurrent of hypnotic psychedelia. It’s a heady concoction.

Ahead of the release of the bands second album The Slow Down on Blackjack Illuminist Records they are treating us to a sneak peek with the single ‘Go Around’. I asked the band to give us an introduction to the single and how it came to be.

“There is always a lag between writing and recording an album and releasing it, so we basically carried on writing during recording of our first album. ‘Go Around’ was the first thing we wrote for our second album ‘The Slow Down’ and it immediately felt like it belonged to something new but could also bridge the gap between what we’ve done and what we wanted to do next.”

“We wanted to make accessible, electronic pop that had the same amount of space as mid-era New Order recordings. A lot of the rest of the new record is a bit more experimental than our first, but it all orbits our weird blend of shoegaze and electronics, and this sums up our sound pretty well. If you don’t know Japan Review this is probably a good place to start!”

So, start there we will.

The song opens on a pulsing beat and chiming chords. As the bass and vocals come in there is an eighties synth pop aesthetic at play feeling new and nostalgic at once. In the second half the track gains a bit of bite and we are floating along on glorious glide guitar.

I really enjoy how ‘Go Around’ evolves over its three-minute run time. I’m reminded of the arrangements on that classic debut album from Lovesliescrushing with a real focus on interesting textures and changes.

If you like a little more depth to your shoegaze then Japan Review are the band for you. I’ve been lucky enough to get an advance listen to their new album and it’s stunning. Head over to the Japan Review Bandcamp now to download ‘Go Around’.

You can follow Japan Review on social media here…

Guest Directors – Interference Patterns

Seattle is world famous for being the birthplace of grunge. One of those legendary bands, Tad, included guitarist Gary Thorstensen who has gone on to form Guest Directors. The band also includes guitarist/vocalist Julie D, drummer Rian Turner and bassist Charles Russo. They’ve just released their first full length LP Interference Patterns after a series of successful Ep’s and singles.

The band have a real genre hopping approach to their music and have this to say about the album.

“Like a broken mirror, Seattle’s Guest Directors reflect a multitude of emotional and musical pathways.  On their new LP, Interference Patterns, the songs spiral one after another – sometimes powerful and sometimes delicate. They can sound like snowflakes and hail storms, sometimes in the same song.”

Sounds like an exciting listen. Let’s drop the needle and see what they have in store for us.

The album opens on the punchy ‘From This Distance’. The twin vocal approach adding to the impact of the guitars sonic assault. This song is the perfect opener hooking you in immediately. Billy Corgan would kill for this track.

‘Perfect Picture’ has a stop start rhythm that fools us into thinking this is a melodic indie track. When that driving bass kicks in it reveals itself as a complex, dramatic rock opera. The descending notes in the chorus catch me out every time.

Next up is the moodier ‘Raise a Glass’. The band have this to say.

“’Raise a Glass’ was literally the first complete song we ever wrote. We had the music in place while we were looking for a singer. One of the try-outs went so poorly that Julie decided to give it a go herself. As a long time backup singer, she wasn’t a complete rookie.

But she made a beginner’s mistake of coming up with a melody in a range that couldn’t be projected well live . Fast-forward 7 years, and Gary suggested capo-ing the guitars a couple of frets, and voila! Maybe things happen for a reason because we’re all really happy with the outcome.”

Julie’s voice is just sublime. Especially in those harmony moments. Coupled with that yearning guitar line it creates an emotive atmosphere that captures the mood of the subject matter perfectly.

Next, creeping up is the tightly wound ‘Blackout Dream Blues’. The guitars lending a sense of peril keeping you on edge until the chorus blooms. Something occurred to me listening to this one, I can hear this song in the soundtrack to a future Bond movie.

The shoegaze glide sound comes into full effect on ‘Skinless’. Married with the alt rock riffage and soaring vocals it creates a unique atmosphere. I particularly loved the break down leading into the final minute, those tom rolls providing a new dynamic and room for the guitars to shine.

Speaking of dynamic ‘Nico’ really does keep us on our toes. Beginning like a chilled-out ballad the chorus comes in like the late great Kirsty MacColl, lush deeply rounded harmonies with an instant hook that makes you smile ear to ear. Absolutely love this song.

Next track is a massive curve ball. ‘Laser Hands’ cones in like an almost jazz rock odyssey. The verses ebb and flow with sublime call and response between the vocals and guitars. The vocals swing from a Pink Floydesque whispered delivery to a heavily treated wail to the skies. It really stands up to repeated listens, there’s just so much for your ear to enjoy.

‘Stare it Down’ is a lesson in restraint. Just listen to how the vocals behave in that chorus. So, balanced and poised. The bass delivers a stellar turn, dictating the pace and providing another sonic texture. Guitars are kept in check until that psychedelic solo comes in and sends us heavenward. Hats off to the band for delivering this wee beauty.

The album rounds out with ‘You’ll Never Know’. Again, leaning into that jazz rock sound with some of the chord choices. It lends the song an air of finality, making it perfectly placed on the album. Some moments on here remind me of guitars used by one of my all-time heroes Mary Margaret O’Hara. Also, those drums, never settling, always moving. As the song morphs into as rock ballad in its second half we get to hear another side to the band. Again, the restraint on show is spellbinding and in doing so they allow space for that beautiful vocal to shine through.

The band say that Interference Patterns is culled from songs that the band have been writing for the entire time they have been together. That shared experience and knowledge of each other shines through in every song. This is an album that screams confidence but never over confidence. That is as sure footed in its performance as it is in production. This is an album Guest Directors should feel justifiably proud of.

Interference Patterns is out now via Topsy Records/Snappy Little Numbers digitally and on limited edition CD and numbered vinyl from Guest Directors Bandcamp.

You can follow Guest Directors on social media here…