Mirage, The

The Mirage is the sophomore release by Los Angeles darkwave duo Chasms. The shoegaze, goth, and industrial elements continue, only this time attached to danceable beats and a more stylish production. This new set of songs is their most accessible yet and perhaps their most personal. Enchanting gloominess.

Something else from the press release:
The duo’s second LP for the Felte label, 'The Mirage' was conceived following major upheaval in the pair’s lives, including the loss of Madden's brother and a number of the band's friends in Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse fire in 2016. Compounded with the dissolution of a marriage, and leaving San Francisco after more than a decade to relocate to Los Angeles, the album is an exploration of grief and the multi-faceted heartbreak that follows such events.

The Mirage' tells candid narratives of a heavy heart but does not wallow in despair. At times, the album even offers danceable moments as in the entrancing, textural "Every Heaven in Between" with its restless techno and house-inspired four-on-the-floor beat. Sliding guitar chords and a smoky bass line wade between rhythmic pulsing and a booming kick in the narcotic "Shadow."

RIYL: Xymox, Fawns Of Love, Seefeel, The xx and Miserable.

FCC CLEAN!
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9

1. (7:05) *Shadow – Slow/medium tempo. Electronic beats and sounds, distant guitar riffs, soft vocals here and there. Tribal and organic.
2. (5:47) ***Every Heaven In Between – Medium-up tempo. Drum machine beats. More distant guitars, delicate vocals. This could be the single of the album. Exquisite.
3. (4:29) **Deep Love Deep Pain – Medium tempo. Trip-hop beat. Great guitar sounds. More beautiful vocals.
4. (5:03) Gratuitously Cruel – Slow tempo. Classic Chasms sound here.
5. (2:24) *No Savior – Slow tempo. Instrumental track. Distorted beats and guitar sounds.
6. (6:13) **Tears In The Morning Sun – Slow tempo. Bass line a la early Jane’s Addiction – kinda funky. Minimal treatment.
7. (7:07) The Mirage – Slow tempo. Classic Chasms sound Part II.
8. (5:58) *Divine Illusion (Rework) – Slow tempo. Classic Chasms sound Part III.
9. (4:49) ***Divine Illusion [Bonus Track] – Medium-up tempo. Very different from the rework version. More energetic. My second favorite track on the album.