Browsing Tag

shoegaze

RAYNA has made her debut with the stylishly quiescent Indie Alt Pop single “Let Me”

Posted on 19 July 2020

Let Me (Let Go) is the stunning debut single from up and coming Indie Pop artist RAYNA. The adjectives ‘artful’ and ‘accessible’ don’t’ often meet each other in reviews but Let Me is anything but your average debut single.

The track plays with nuances of Shoegaze and Neo-Classic Pop while allowing the track to ooze mainstream contemporary appeal. As you listen to the accordant progressions, the biggest changes you’ll pick up on is the emotional intensity which comes in arrestive fluctuating waves. The stylish quiescent production is one thing, the evocative propensity of Let Me is quite another.

If you’re as aurally sensitive as me, don’t be surprised if RAYNA’s debut single has you fighting back the tears.

You can check out RAYNA’s debut single Let Me (Let Go) for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sky Changes – New Shoes: An Instantly Engorging Melting Pot of Art Rock, Dream Pop and Shoegaze

Posted on 13 July 2020

From the first angular notes in the latest track “New Shoes” from Chicago Alt-Rock outfit Sky Changes, we were hooked. Their unique amalgamation of Art Rock, Dream Pop and Indie Shoegaze will leave fans of Radiohead and Slowdive alike enamoured.

Not only did the dreamy soundscape allow Sky Changes to assert their distinction and ingenuity on the airwaves. New Shoes is also an instantly engorging melodic masterpiece where every evolution will leave you with an even more potent dose of awe.

With every progression, the tight yet chorally accordant instrumentals seem to gain intricacy and amass alchemy while the hazily-blissful vocals remain a beguilingly soft constant. The muted vocals magnetically draw you deeper into the track to extract the meaning behind the New Shoes metaphor.

It isn’t every day we hear such a fresh revival of Alt 90s sounds. We’d recommend getting Sky Changes on your radar sooner than later.

You can check out Sky Changes’ latest single for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud or Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lo-Fi Sludgy Shoegaze and Post Punk, converge in Nikolai Parker’s latest despondently sweet single “June”

Posted on 25 June 2020
https://nikolaiparker.bandcamp.com/track/june

Boston, Massachusetts-based Alternative artist Nikolai Parker dropped their latest single “June” on June 16th, we’re already hooked on the sludgy immersive aural despondency.

The progressive soundscape starts with chorally absorbing guitar notes floating high above the steady rattle of the drumbeats, but as June progresses, the momentum picks up and discord starts to bleed through.

In true Shoegaze style, Nikolai Parker’ vocals bleed slightly into the mix. Yet not so much so that the lyrics are lost in the melancholically-tinged soundscape.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Nirvana and Slowdive collaborated on a record, you’d be able to get a good idea of what is in store when you hit play on June. Aptly. the track is as dark and stormy as the month of June in 2020. Admittedly, after hearing Nikolai Parker’s release, it felt increasingly harder to feel morose.

You’d be hard-pressed finding a more indulgent infusion Shoegaze, Post Punk, Grunge and Lo-Fi Rock from a contemporary artist.

You can stream and download June for yourselves via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skin Care Are Set to Release Their Hypnotically Kaleidoscopic Shoegaze Single “Loveless”

Posted on 13 April 2020
Skin Care

It was a bold move for Indie Shoegaze newcomers Skin Care to title their single “Loveless”. Yet, irrefutably, it shares the same hypnotically kaleidoscopic appeal as My Bloody Valentine’s soulfully harrowed iconic album.

The bleeding choral vocals rest just above the sludgy effect-laden instrumentals which thrash their way through the layers of reverb. The single contains exactly the kind of driving momentum that you’d want to hear from any Shoegaze artist, but Skin Care irrefutably isn’t a band without their authenticity and distinction. With slight hints of Post Punk weaved into the atmospheric mix plus a full exploration of the Shoegaze tonal palette, even the most pretentious of Shoegaze purists won’t be able to turn their nose up at the modern stylistic sound revival.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out Loveless for yourselves. In the meantime, you can listen to their equally as immersive debut single Sleep.

Keep up to date with the latest releases from Skin Care via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blondmodel – WEIGHT: Emotively Warm, Tonally Glacial Alt Indie

Posted on 3 April 2020
Blondmodel

Shoegaze, Post Punk and contemporary Indie converge in the hauntingly sublime standout single WEIGHT from Alt Indie trailblazers Blondmodel.

The experimental mix even finds room to lay down sonically caustic blasting synth notes into the soundscape which offered nothing but accessible accordance up until the track neared the outro.

Despite the palpable authentic creativity which went into the single, there are familiar hooks to ensure that it’s not just an easy track to slip into, it’s a track which wholly consumes your consciousness as you listen to the sheer emotion which doesn’t just come from the absorbingly soft vocals. The pensive yet soft instrumental melodies also possess the ability to crawl under your ribs.

Any fans of the National, Editors, Frightened Rabbit and Idlewild will undoubtedly want to check out WEIGHT for themselves.

WEIGHT is just one of the singles which features on Blondmodel’s 2020 EP “Neon Lights, Lonely Nights” which was released on March 27th. You can check it out by heading over to SoundCloud or Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grunge Meets Accordant Folk in Lee Sama’s Latest Single “Luana”

Posted on 16 March 2020
https://soundcloud.com/leeohsama/luana/s-h4X6C

Stockholm-based Garage Folk artist Lee Sama’s latest single Luana is just one of the disarming reasons why you’ll want to make room for this artist on your radar.

With the raw and gritty appeal of Grunge but arranged under the accordance of Psych-laced Folk, paradoxically, Luana is a hard-hitting blissful soundscape.

Fans of Dinosaur Jr, My Bloody Valentine, Yo La Tengo, Pavement, Nirvana, and Pixies will find it all too easy to melt into the emotion-driven hazy track which serves as the perfect introduction to Lee Sama’s indulgently cathartic sound.

Luana may not be the most over-complicated soundscape. Yet, there’s still an artfully beguiling air to the production which will undoubtedly see the artist go far.

You’ll be able to check out Luana for yourselves from March 13th via SoundCloud or Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Calls – Fall Inside: An Indie Psych Playlist Essential

Posted on 16 March 2020

The Calls found the perfect balance of Indie, Psych, Shoegaze, and Post-Punk with their latest transfixingly reverb-soaked single “Fall Inside”.

The Leeds-based newcomers made sure the melodies are equipped to make your soul feel lighter while also bleeding a potent amount of 90s nostalgia which is sure to appeal to fans of the Stone Roses.

Their talent transcends assimilation through their signature tonal experimentalism. The progressions come with a captivating kaleidoscopic hypnotic appeal. There’s also a more cutting edge to Fall Inside which means fans of The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen will want to make room for Fall Inside on their playlists.

The Calls have well and truly broken the mould with Fall Inside. I can only imagine how unholy the walls of noise they conjure in their live performances are.

You can check out the official music video to Fall Inside which premiered on March 6th for yourselves via YouTube.

Keep up to date with the latest releases by The Calls via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lounge Act Jam – Let Me Be The One You Want Me to Be: Despondency Laced-Shoegaze

Posted on 19 February 2020

Any fans of Slowdive are definitely going to want to check out the standout single “Let Me Be The One You Want Me to Be” from up and coming Portland, US-based artist Lounge Act Jam.

Their distinctive brand of ‘Underdog Pop’ offers all of the dreamy, gritty and despondency-laced effect-glazed guitar tones and the bleeding vocals which you’d expect to hear from Shoegaze pioneers.

Yet, with a stunning contribution of Psychedelic Rock on the outro and slight nuances of Jangle Pop, they’ve more than made their abstract mark on the genre.

You can check out Let Me Be The One You Want Me to Be for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dreamwave meets Post Punk in Ego Tripping’s latest single “Pleasure Rift”

Posted on 13 January 2020

If Ego Tripping intended to offer a full-body sensory experience with their latest Dreamwave single “Pleasure Rift” they definitely succeeded.

There’s plenty of ambience to be enveloped by. There’s also the infusion of cutting atmospheric tones which will go down a treat with fans of 80s Post Punk such as The Chameleons and Echo and the Bunnymen.

For seven serene minutes, you’ll get to follow the progressive nature of the single which offers a fully rounded tonal palette and vocals which border on hypnotic. The vocals rest above the reverb-soaked instrumentals just enough for the lyrics to resonate. But there’s plenty of synergy between the winding melodicism and the tantalising lucid whispers.

Pleasure Rift was the first single to be released from Ego Tripping’s debut album which is due to be released on January 17th. I’ve got a feeling you won’t want to miss the rest of it.

You can experience the catharsis of Pleasure Rift for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

I, The Ruin are set to make an unmissable debut with the Prog Indie Rock Single “Blossoms”

Posted on 9 January 2020
I, The Ruin

I, The Ruin are set to make their debut with the captivating Progressive Rock single “Blossoms”. The UK-based artist is already in high demand after receiving BBC airplay. With the way the single makes your jaw drop without any amount of grace or decorum when it hits you with its full momentum, there’s little room to wonder why.

Blossoms may kick off as an ambiently melodic work of Shoegaze Indie Rock. But the riotously progressive single crashes into a high-octane offering of Post-Rock complete with caustic screams and harsh Metal instrumentals. If I hadn’t spoiled the surprise, you never would have anticipated the violent and sharp evolution in the soundscape.

You’ll have to wait until January 24th to check out Blossoms for yourselves. You can pre-save the single here.

Connect with I, The Ruin on Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest releases. This is a band you’re going to want on your radar.

Review by Amelia Vandergast