Heartbreaking Bravery

Eternal Summers’ The Drop Beneath was a gorgeous stunner of a record, reinforcing Kanine Records’ already stellar reputation as one of the most consistent labels releasing music today. Intriguingly, one of the finest songs attached to the record- “Window”- was only released as the B-Side on a digital single. “Gouge” is an impressive track, to be sure, but there’s an undefinable quality that helps “Window” both separate and transcend both “Gouge” and a very large portion of the record it was featured on. Tilting more towards traditional shoegaze, “Window” allows the band to explore their oneiric side, finding a comfortable niche in the atmospheric.

There’s a distinct uncertainty that creeps into “Window” and it becomes a perfect vehicle to showcase Nicole Yun’s transfixing vocals. It’s deliberately paced, with the swirling guitars slowly expanding into ambient-heavy sections that frequently verge on either post-rock or post-punk, creating a bridge to close the gap over a very peculiar divide. Doug Gillard’s production work here is as marvelous as ever (easily matching his work with both Nada Surf and Guided By Voices), creating a lush soundscape that complements the band’s styles both individually and as a collective unit. By the time it fades out, “Window” already feels like a particularly memorable dream worthy of being fondly recalled down the line. In short: it’s something that approaches mastery.

Listen to “Window” below and buy the Gouge single here.