From the very first track, A Reckoning, the debut album from Leathered, arrives with understated swagger, like an outlaw emerging from a cave in the desert, strolling through the shadows. With enough chorus to be shoegaze and enough twang to be country, Leathered straddle the line between genres to present their own unique vision. Self-described as “noirish, psychic rock & roll” on their Instagram, the Brooklyn band consists of Amanda B. Jun on vocals and guitars, Edward Anthony on bass, and Carter Logan on drums.
“It’s My Time” is a perfect lead track, as it showcases much of what makes this album great: spooky dessicated guitar full of reverb and jangle, thick bass that bounces along smoothly, with crisp drums holding everything together. There are the occasional dissonant guitar notes to add a bit more tension. Jun’s vocals are on the softer side but straightforward rather than breathy, and mix exceedingly well into the music. A band statement on their Bandcamp page states that A Reckoning is Leathered’s “aural effort to rebuke the banality of evil, the seductive appeal of apathy” and that the songs “appeal to one’s innate capacity for lightness and joy.” Lyrically, that is evident here from lines like “There’s a darkness breaking into my soul / and it’s taking its toll, I can feel its pull / I need to tune in, hear the words of my sister, sing the songs of my mother’s eternal embrace / we gotta break in, wake up, break down / I know that it’s my time.”
Some tracks are more pop tinged, like “Hours,” while others veer into the country side of things, like “Strawman.” “Prayer” finds itself in more aggressive territory, with biting percussion from Logan (who is also a member of SQÜRL, a band I’ve always loved for their atmospheric qualities, especially on the soundtrack to Only Lovers Left Alive). The rollicking “Superstition” is downright sexy, and songs like “Bones Of The Dead” (“I hear the bones of the dead dancing on my grave / I see the setting of the sun counting down my days”) guarantee the goth cowboys among us a good time.
Fans of Nick Cave, The Cramps, or Dum Dum Girls will find a lot to love on this album. I imagine jamming this while driving across a dark desert, sunglasses on at night, dressed all in black with a cigarette and a guitar instead of a shiny pistol.
The Shining Hours may have titled their new EP Wasted Time, but the new Brooklyn band hasn’t been wasting time at all, playing a spate of shows across New York City this summer. The EP is short in tracks, including only three, but the tracks themselves clock in from three to six minutes and give a good introduction to the bands’ overall sound, which (for me at least) rides the line between classic midwestern and Brooklyn indie.
The first track, “Retrograde,” is an energetic rock song that even touches power pop territory (in a good way). This is slightly deceptive; the second and third tracks, “Not Far Away” and “Diamonds In The Dirt” tread into more familiar indie soundscapes, ala’ The Replacements or Superchunk. The basslines of Fernando Pascual and rhythms of drummer Bill Peluso smoothly carry the songs along, as they glide rather than push forward, and allow the guitar stylings of lead guitarist Joe Peters to ride along top. Singer and rhythm guitarist David Tsai has a voice perfectly suited for this kind of music, strong enough to be forward but very melodic. The lyrics are introspective, from lines like “It’s hard to forget, my memory counts every inch” and “I can’t seem to be open today, thinking of you and my mind chooses not to stay.”
While Wasted Time is a bite-sized treat, it piques curiosity for a full length release in the future. In the meantime, you can catch The Shining Hours at Our Wicked Lady on August 9th, or Rockwood Music Hall on August 21st. Find them on Instagram, Soundcloud or Spotify.
Brooklyn-based band Minaxi certainly have been prolific over the last few years, releasing a number of EPs as well as their 2020 debut album Khwab. This June finds multi-instrumentalists Shrenik Ganatra and Liam Christian and drummer Steve Carlin back in familiar territory, moving through shoegaze, psych, rock, and Indian classical music on their sophomore LP Lazuleen.
The album kicks off with bright, shimmering guitars on “Hey,” bringing a thread of optimism right from the jump (“hey look outside it’s such a beautiful day / I – I’m at your doorstep calling your name”) before moving on to buzzing guitars and quiet-loud dynamics on “Mother.” Minaxi often go for the ethereal side of shoegaze rather than the total wall of sound, but they do beef it up in places, such as on “Adore” and “Manchala,” a track sung in Hindi, bringing to mind Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins. Dare I say there is a bit of Sunny Day Real Estate in here as well? (“Adore” also features bass and vocals from Theadora Curtis of Climates, who sings on “Alive I Feel When I Look In Your Eyes,” too.) In particular, the drum production is crisp and well-mixed; the band notes they were recorded live with no metronome as to capture their live energy.
The lyrics, both in English and Hindi, are lilting and poetic, as on the track “Reese:” “fiery ropes / in the snowfields / wrapped around / the glacial sheets / dance away / in the winter wind.” There is a lot of beauty and love here, but also doubt, longing and loneliness. Lazuleen is in fact a bit of a concept album, as the songs are (according to the group’s Bandcamp) “addressed to the oceans, skies, trees and winds through the lens of the lazuli bunting, the blue songbird.” The album ends on an upbeat note, with things coming full circle in “August,” when “it feels like once again joy is in the air.”
(On a personal note, THANK YOU to Minaxi for including the lyrics on their Bandcamp page, seriously that makes not only my job of reviewing easier, but enhances the pleasure of listening for everyone! More bands should do this!)
Lazuleen as an LP is ten tracks long, available from Bandcamp on vinyl, cassette, and digital; all versions include a download that also features a number of b-sides and remixes, featuring a 13 min ambient-leaning remix of “The Deep Blue Sea Conveys Your Love” from Slowdive drummer Simon Scott. (Of the extra tracks, I was a fan of “Phir Manchala,” sung in Hindi and absolutely groovy.)
Hot on the heels of their EP release When the Compass Resets… last August (which we covered here,) Brooklyn’s Atlas Engine are back with the follow up, …There Can Be No Regrets, out May 18th on Favorite Friend Records and we have your first listen here. As the titles belie, although these are two separate EPs, they are really two halves of a whole. There is more than one reason behind this decision, as singer, guitarist and songwriter Nick LaFalce notes: “…we’re living in a singles world, so the compromise was releasing it in digestible chunks for newer fans, while still creating something album-lovers can enjoy, too. Another part was, going through this Lyme treatment can really knock me out from time to time, so working on the record in chunks has allowed us to at least start releasing everything sooner as well.”
LaFlace has taken the opportunity in these EPs to deal with topics like his chronic illness, as well as relationships both with each other and the world at large. While …There Can Be No Regrets contains half the tracks as the first part, it is no less ambitious. Featuring bass by Pat Cochrane, drums by Brendan McGuckin, and additional vocals by Meredith Lampe and Caroline Yoder, Altas Engine continues to put out strong, spacey, driving yet delicately composed rock.
As with the first EP, I’m a big fan of the production. Nothing is too muddy or faded into the background; the vocals are clear without taking over, and all the instruments work well together. The first track, “No Shadow,” has a joyous feel, propelled by drums and carried along by a very catchy guitar riff. As LaFalce sings “run from this town… leave your shadow” Lampe’s vocals act as a strengthening echo. The searching, hasty vibe makes the song sound shorter than the 2 1/2 minute runtime, and pushes easily into “Simple Animal.” With lines like “let’s not argue, it’s not like you,” the song is an exploration of how small arguments reveal larger problems in a relationship. Quieter breaks between the soaring choruses provide a back and forth counterpoint, just like a disagreement.
Where “Simple Animal” deals with the pulling apart of a relationship, “Secrets” explores the delicate beginnings of a new one. “Tell me all your secrets, maybe I’ll keep them…” There is truly lovely guitar work swirling around in this song, reminiscent of bands like Felt. The verses here find Atlas Engine veering into jangle pop, and they do it quite well.
Both EPs will be released in July as a full length LP, including three new tracks, the culmination of Atlas Engine’s hard work. In the meantime, you can find …There Can Be No Regrets on Bandcamp and Spotify. Catch Atlas Engine live at The Knitting Factory on 5/21 with Maybird and Gooseberry.
Pictoria Vark is the switched-up performing name of Victoria Park, a bassist and songwriter based in Iowa City. Park has been working as a touring bassist with Squirrel Flower and Pinkshift, but was also releasing her own music over the past few years (her 2018 self-titled EP is available on Bandcamp as a split with Moon Sand Land). The Parts I Dread, on Get Better Records, is her debut LP.
Park is a bassist by trade, and her basslines are quite cleverly composed. That’s not to say the songs are purely bass-driven — there is a mix of guitar, drums, bass and vocals on the album — but something about the song construction belies Park’s bassist roots. The guitars (provided by Gavin Caine, Jason Ross or Michael Eliran, depending on the track) never take over the main riff of the songs with grandstanding, and the solos that do exist meld with rather than overtake the songs. The drums, also played by Caine, complement the songs well, keeping a steady and often laid back beat. Park’s voice is a breath of fresh air — no affectation or overproduction, no following trends. She isn’t trying to sound like anyone but herself.
The album was recorded not only in Iowa but also New Jersey (where Park was born), New York and Colorado. Park told Iowa Public Radio that the “Parts” in the title of The Parts I Dread can refer to geographical place, ala Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, and the songs do span the country, from Demarest, NJ to Wyoming, yet Park’s confessional, heartfelt lyrics move through not only places but feelings. Although she’s in her early 20’s, Park’s youth doesn’t work against her — she’s forthright, but reflective. The songs are often anxious and lonely, touching on relationships, especially the familial.
Highlights of the album are many, but several tracks especially stood out to me. “Wyoming,” a reflection on her parents’ cross-country move, is also a journey through tempo changes. (The Bandcamp exclusive release has a beautiful solo version of this song which really brings out the plaintive quality of Park’s songwriting.) “Good For” tackles being abandoned when you really need it most (“Why am I here for? Friends who finally shut their front doors?”) “Demarest,” which we also covered in our Single Serve column here, builds beautifully into a perfect penultimate track, showcasing both the gentle moments and steady forward motion that characterize the album as a whole. Fans of current bands like Soccer Mommy (whom Park has opened for, with Squirrel Flower) and 90’s midwestern indie will love this album; I can absolutely see fading “Wyoming” into “I Am A Scientist” by Guided By Voices on a mix.
The Parts I Dread is out now digitally on Bandcamp; a vinyl release is planned for later this year. Park is currently on tour with Pinkshift; catch them here in NY on May 11 at Terminal 5.
