Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: Lié

August 10, 2016

Ghost Gum – More (Stream)

ghost gum

Occasionally, there are days that underwhelm in terms of new releases. Then there are days like today, which churn out more than a dozen legitimate contenders for the headline slot and serve as reminders that we’re currently living in the best (and most accessible) time for new releases. There were incredible songs from Jack (who came a hair’s breadth away from getting a standalone post), Eric Slick, Lost Boy ?, Eyes of Love, Johanna Warren, Soft Candy, No One Mind, Peaer, Diners, Chris Farren, M. Lockwood Porter, Seeing Hands, Nots, Oldermost, Sex Stains, SubRosa, Lambchop, The Minders, Elijah Ford, Sports, and an outstanding one-off cover from site favorite Mo Troper.

Several music videos made an impressive impression as well, including new entries from the camps of Sunflower Bean, Dust From 1000 Yrs, Death Valley Girls, Uni Ika Ai, Silent Pictures, Le Boom, EL VY, Watsky, Amber Arcades, and Chris Staples. Tying everything together were the full streams that were unveiled by Pleistocene, Earth Girls, Kindling, Katie Dey, Ant’lrd, and Lié.  In terms of quality, it matched an above-average week’s worth of material. Topping it all off is “More”, a near-perfect new track from Ghost Gum.

After turning some heads last year with “Again“, their contribution to a loaded 4-way split (Loose Tooth, Clique, and Mumblr rounded out the release), the quartet’s returned with a vengeance. “More” comes loaded with hooks, exhilarating moments, and genuine feeling. At every turn, the song provides something fascinating, from the tremolo picking that sets the tone of “More” to the rapid-fire hi-hat pattern to the earworm-ready bass line and guitar riff that kick the track into the fifth gear.

In less than three minutes, Ghost Gum offer a masterclass in dynamic structure, getting the most mileage possible out of a soaring chorus, a searing solo, and a compellingly muted verse that keeps everything grounded and breathes in some fractured humanity. Some aching backing vocals enhance the song’s half-haunted atmosphere to great effect and everything clicks in ways that both satisfy and induce genuine excitement.

When everything’s through, “More” stands as a song that not only lives up to the promise of its title but redefines that very same title as a winking understanding of how listeners should be feeling upon hearing the song’s final notes. Explosive without being bombastic and contemplative without dipping into tedium, “More” is a sharply crafted piece of work from a band that’s been continuously bettering themselves with each successive release. If the rest of their forthcoming release, The Past, The Future, Dwelling There Like Space, is anywhere near this good, it’ll be among the strongest releases of the year.

Listen to “More” below and download it here.

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July 1, 2016

Sat. Nite Duets – Tafka Salieri (Stream)

satniteduets

Ours + Yours, Field Mouse, The Lees of Memory, Joanne Pollock, Lié, Halycine, MIYNT, Sunjacket, Year of Glad, and Katie Dey were just a handful of the artists responsible for the last haul of great songs. Each track had its own individual charms but the spotlight here belongs to the resurgent Sat. Nite Duets, who are preparing a legitimate Album of the Year contender in Air Guitar — their first effort for site favorites Father/Daughter — and leading off the record’s promotional campaign with “Tafka Salieri”.

For several years, the band’s been transforming themselves from an act visibly (and audibly) operating in Pavement’s shadow to one that’s cultivated a unique identity. While “Tafka Salieri” barely hints at the wide array of styles that run through Air Guitar, it does successfully re-introduce the band. While the Pavement influence can certainly still be heard, there’s a newfound confidence to the band’s composition and execution that benefits them well. Yes, “Tafka Salieri” still primarily operates in slacker pop but it updates it from the ’90s-mining that was so prominent in their past work to something that scans as refreshingly current (while still paying homage to some classic influences).

In one song, they set the tone for a record that’s primed to catch a whole host of people off guard and win over a whole new legion of converts. There’s a new depth of intelligence to the band’s songwriting that ably shows through “Tafka Salieri” and seems set to not only be sustained in the future but potentially even perfected. This is a song that’s perfect for solo summer drives, parties, after-parties, or even the come-downs that accompany those parties. It’s a sublime piece of seemingly carefree basement pop that betrays the band’s sense of meticulous perfectionism. Give in to its charms and walk away with a new summer anthem.

Listen to “Takfa Salieri” below and pre-order Air Guitar from Father/Daughter here.

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