Recurring Dream

Dreamy, driving shoegaze from of KZSU’s favorite sonic opiate purveyors, Kranky Records. The label’s slogan “going nowhere fast” has never been less applicable than here: Loud, heavily reverbed guitars building atmosphere with the drum machine evokes Nadja, Jesu, with an MBV meets Flying Saucer Attack vibe in the “song” aspects, i.e. vocals, song structures. What if Kevin Shields had the lead guitar skills and effects wizardry of J Mascis and Thurston Moore? Fans of ambient artists such as Kevin Greenspon, Sundrips, or Aidan Baker will even find plenty of gorgeous guitar interludes to play this often. RIYL nodding your head while thinking about everything and nothing. FCC clean.

1. (1:57) stark, frigid, subtle guitar drone intro
2. (5:29) monotonous shoegaze with a steady beat, post-rocky acid-washed guitars with some great psychedelic solos throughout. Ethereal, layered vocals occasionally enter the mix.
3. (3:05) throbbing pulse, breathy blizzard goddess vox, more of an Alcest vibe here
4. (3:19)**** swirling, dreamy, hypnotic drone. So incredibly lovely, you’ll want to keep the tissues nearby.
5. (4:25)* jangly post-rock swirl of a song, vocals and beat eventually become more pronounced than we’d expect. drifting, melancholy basslines and some more sweet guitar.
6. (5:34) mystical plod, guitar absent for the first half, crescendos into something… but still falls a bit short of the expectations it sets up in the end.
7. (5:49)** perfect for walking through a blizzard—a slow jangly plod slowly emerges out of some guitar drone, breathy vocals carried by some really majestic, almost bluesy guitar solos.
8. (2:14) gently oscillating ambient
9. (4:28) slightly more “epic” vibe here, spacey parts build tension in a slightly faster shoegaze plod that combines both genders of vocalists.
10. (2:51) Ambient with gentle guitar strumming, cooing wordless vocals
11. (6:19) prominent drumbeat (possibly programmed?) over monotonous jangly guitar, eventually the searing guitar leads come back, but it’s nothing you haven’t heard before by now.