Delilah Fang - "Impostor Syndrome" (self-released)
Delilah Fang describe themselves as a dream pop band. While many of the traditional elements of the genre are present in their sound, it's somewhat of a misnomer. Perhaps that's just a problem with my pre-conceived notions of what dream pop sounds like.
"Impostor Syndrome," one of two singles the band put out ahead of their EP Lonely Once Too, has too much momentum to be a hardcore dream pop song. I mean, yeah, there is reverb on the guitar and there are moments that one could describe as "washed out." Beyond that, it's a quirky, laid-back tune; to put it into two words, it's a jangly gem.
I love songs that get swept away by the groove, and on "Impostor Syndrome," drummer Alyse Emanuel and bassist Lee Carter have incredible synergy. They never lose hold, even as the song splits in two toward the end.
Somewhat ironically, my favorite part of the song is its most dream pop-like. The guitars are swept into a funnel and woozy, harmonized vocals emerge. Suffice to say, Delilah Fang use their own genre descriptor very broadly, instead of a sonic rule book.
"Impostor Syndrome" is the song that made me aware of the band's existence, but their full Lonely Once Too EP is available now. It's definitely worth checking out.
Half Tramp - HAZZARDLY (self-released)
I'm a bit late to this one (it came out in early September), but Joe and I saw Taylor perform this summer, and there was no way we could let HAZZARDLY, her latest Half Tramp album, slip through the cracks.
The songs on this project are truly haunting. Virtually every song consists only of Taylor's voice and her guitar (sometimes doubled). "RATS" shivers with guarded intensity, and "CONNIE" evokes a beautiful yet terrifying dream.
Even as there is thematic consistency across all 12 tracks, they remain distinct. HAZZARDLY is a crumbling house and each song is a room. They are individually weighed down by the crushing atmosphere of this place that used to hold life within. It's up to the listener to decide which song is which room. I can say with some personal certainty that the six-minute "SCORPIO" is the decrepit foyer, though it is nestled at the end of the album. Through its subtle phases, it provides an image I imagine is similar to the cover: incomplete, uncertain, yet possessing an eerie beauty.
Lettering - Harbinger/Less Violent (Brace Cove Records)
Pretty much any class on storytelling or (song)writing includes some bit about hooking the audience within the first few moments. Normally, that's in the interest of some capitalistic garbage and "manipulating the consumer" or something. In the case of Lettering's new EP, its captivates you right away and hooks you in the interest of enjoying some great emo-tinged rock tunes.
"New Lungs" unfolds like a rocket launch. It gains momentum over the first 30 seconds before bursting into what amounts, on one level, to a post-hardcore song. The subsequent five songs never quite reach the same level of sonic intensity, but they don't need to. Each one barrels along with gleeful energy. Lettering built a powerful core and let the individual songs spiral outward like a rock Fibonacci sequence. Total bangers only.
"New Lungs" unfolds like a rocket launch. It gains momentum over the first 30 seconds before bursting into what amounts, on one level, to a post-hardcore song. The subsequent five songs never quite reach the same level of sonic intensity, but they don't need to. Each one barrels along with gleeful energy. Lettering built a powerful core and let the individual songs spiral outward like a rock Fibonacci sequence. Total bangers only.
"Here it goes again" are the first words you here on ahem's new single." Let me tell you, I am very excited for it go again, if 'it' is more tunes from ahem.
Where "Sideways" burned, "No Kid" smolders. The riffs are still here; they're just a bit more down-tempo. The vocals are still killer; they're just burnished with a snarl. After the chorus erupts suddenly, it shuffles into a whistle breakdown. The inherent cheekiness of a whistle breakdown isn't lost on anyone, but it serves the emotive grunginess of ahem's music. Bands like these are indebted to the eye-rolling cleverness of 90s indie, but they always take the core ideas and run with them instead of getting bogged down. I absolutely love it (and ahem).
Where "Sideways" burned, "No Kid" smolders. The riffs are still here; they're just a bit more down-tempo. The vocals are still killer; they're just burnished with a snarl. After the chorus erupts suddenly, it shuffles into a whistle breakdown. The inherent cheekiness of a whistle breakdown isn't lost on anyone, but it serves the emotive grunginess of ahem's music. Bands like these are indebted to the eye-rolling cleverness of 90s indie, but they always take the core ideas and run with them instead of getting bogged down. I absolutely love it (and ahem).
Miyha - In Ending EP (self-released)
It is always sad when a great band says goodbye. It's a natural part of any scene. Still sucks though. Madison's Miyha bid farewell earlier this year with their super-great album World's Biggest Crush (via Heavy Meadow Records). Fortunately, they saw fit to put a cherry on top with a final two-song EP.
In Ending is a fitting end (hence the title, duh). The band is still in fantastic form and both songs would fit snugly on the album. Diaristic questioning is the name of the game on both "Conor" and "Strangers." I'm grateful for the EP if only because of the first lines of "Strangers:" "I found you on a planet with stars in your eyes / and blood on your teeth, who were you trying to please?" Somatic, yet poetic, and totally perfect.
While Miyha will be missed, all good things must pass. Sending all our love and support to Alejandra, Mike, Kyle, and Erik in their future ventures, musical or otherwise.
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