Nation of Language

Since the start of social distancing thirty-odd days ago, my headphones have become a sanctuary, a necessary distraction, an invisible partition carving out a little bit of private space. During that time, NYC’s Nation of Language released its latest single, September Again and within that time the song has become a morning ritual, the first thing I hear while I consume my dwindling supply of caffeine. Perhaps I’m looking forward to a time when all this is behind us, maybe September is my figurative finish line.

September Again is Nation Of Language’s ninth stellar single since releasing “What Does The Normal Man Feel?” in 2016, and continues to add to the anticipation of their now delayed, debut full length album titled Introduction, Presence. The song cements that ever-elusive mantle of “Band To Watch”, a tag that might induce eye-rolling in the most skeptical of listeners, but on the strength of the material that the band has released thus far, it’s hard to argue.

Nation Of Language songs revel in a flawless execution of 80’s new wave and post-punk. Thoughtful and weighty lyrical mantras adorn these utterly satisfying pop songs, carrying with them an emotional weight that ensures that they go the distance, passing any notion that this is simply a throwback. Synths lock into bubbling patterns, drum machines and elastic basslines propel the listener into a nostalgia-filled glow with stadium-sized ambition. Nation Of Language possesses that intangible, romantic ennui, that will have you executing those Molly Ringwaldmoves with zero guilt.

Do yourself a favour and order Introduction, Presence here.

Holy Wave

Austin Texas’ Holy Wave emerge once again with the announcement of a new platter of psychedelics titled Interloper, which will be available on May 8. With so much time being spent between the headphones these days, release dates have become something sweet to look forward to and help mark the weeks as they go by. The first two singles I’m Not Living In The Past Anymore and Escapism carry the torch forward of the band’s hazy brand of psychedelia that has mapped out their tripped out catalogue. I’m Not Living In The Past Anymore immediately locks into a motorik groove, flexing washes of synth and guitar reverb into a dizzying sonic cartwheel. Escapism will have you crawling through the fibres of your carpet in attempts at weightlessness, an airy manifestation of escape touching upon transcendence with a hypnotic fix.

Holy Wave albums are always something to look forward to, and with Interloper coming down the pipeline, it looks as though we will have another righteous album to escape into.

You can order Holy Wave’s new album Interloper here.

Orchids

Back in September, when evenings were planned around immersing oneself within a large group of people inside a confined space, Paul and I were lucky enough to catch Orchids in support of UUBBUURRUU. Within the relaxing confines of L’escogriffe, the confluence of sound, company and environment that night, supported by devout followers of rock n’ roll and debaucherous revelry, were all aligned with the stars. Since that evening, it’s been a patient wait for any sort of dive into the band’s recorded sound. The arrival of Orchid’s first single Dead Keys b/w Another Day ( EXAG’ Records) pairs two deeply satisfying musical dreamscapes, where a fuzzy golden light shines throughout. Reverb drenched foundations rest beneath the sweet fruit that blooms through the band’s brand of pop-inflected psych-gaze. Where Dead Keys drips monochrome with effortless cool, Another Day bounces a rubber ball rhythm section up against a wall of sound, as harmonies rise, the guitars rip and soar, building to a psychedelic climax and increased heart rate.

Orchids’ Dead Keys b/w Another Day can be ordered here.

Six Organs of Admittance - Companion Rises

Six Organs Of Admittance albums have always been a solitary listening experience for me, with no one ever around to ask “What is this?”. Ben Chasny’s music has always been an escape or adornment to a late-night creative burst or an early morning meditation. Chasny’s sonic explorations have taken many forms over the course of his career, and Companion Rises returns to create spaces that rest between light and dark, organic and digital. Opening ominously with a lone synthesizer, Pacific breaks in like a weather system - a foreboding system of thunderclouds, threatening to erase the horizon before finally breaking and giving way to Two Forms Moving. Replacing the tension with circular fingerpicked guitars and hushed vocals, a pre-dawn glow emerges from the ether and electric guitars scratch below the surface like steel wool threatening to scratch through the veneer. Throughout the course of Companion Rises, the dynamic combination between acoustic instrumentation and experimental stabs of distorted guitar and synth layout an alternate realm to escape to, one that builds new landscapes for the listener, one that casts light and dark in equal measure. The calm retreats for The 101 which flexes it’s muscles down a straightforward path to a beautifully unruly squall of guitar, like a boardwalk stretching toward high tide, only to be washed away by stronger natural forces.

Definitely pick up Six Organs Of Admittance’sCompanion Rises here.

Cindy Lee

The start of self-isolation feels like an eternity ago, in that time Cindy Lee’s latest What’s Tonight To Eternity (not including Cat O’ Nine Tails, released April 14th on the artist’s Geocities site) has become a daily soundtrack, devoid of time and place. Sounding as though the album was birthed in isolation, mysterious and captivating, these songs place a veil around the listener, opening realms like little windows with invitations to curiously peek through. Although this album could successfully soundtrack images shot through a Lynchian lens, the album stands alone, unique with enough imagery, emotion and weight to create its own worlds. Sonically the album draws from an assortment of influences ranging from torchlight soul to synth confessionals, feedback and noise converge with doo-wop and spoken word, all the while blurring time and place. Cindy Lee has always made outsider music that never trades in emotional weight for trends or fashion, a truly refreshing, unique vision. While I wait for Cat ‘O Nine Tails to make it’s way to these ears I look forward to turning What’s Tonight To Eternity inside out.

Find Cat ‘O Nine Tails here.

Find What’s Tonight To Eternity here.

Nation of Language/ Holy Wave/ Orchids/ Six Organs of Admittance/ Cindy Lee