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Lately, it feels like the dream pop/shoegaze genre is really taking off and spinning in several different wonderful directions. Nashville’s Grave Pool is no exception to this—the work of this gentleman takes a trip down shoegaze lane, but adds a whole new level of sheerness to the mix. Mnemonics may be Grave Pool’s debut album, but it feels like a seasoned work, one that delights as much as it resonates.
“Cast/Off” opens up the album with its brief taste of instrumental interlude that pulls you in from wherever you’re coming from. The synths wind their way in, gentle guitar strums along, and the soft yet substantial percussion creates a kind of drama that builds the short intro track into something more than just a throwaway instrumental song. Instead, it provides the perfect introduction to the sound that Grave Pool has elegantly crafted, akin to a sweeping overture of a stage production. Before you know it this track is over, and Devan Köchersperger has launched into the thick of it with “National Forest.” Angular guitars glide in white hot, while the vocals are muted and deep, juxtaposing the airiness of the instrumentation to give you an 80’s feel in a modern context; something about the synth in this song has me thinking about The Cure. Later on you get fiery tracks like “Burnt” or “I’ll Tell You Later,” both of which will get you grooving pretty intensely. Needless to say, I could go track by track enumerating each one’s lushness, but then you’d be reading this review for hours instead of just listening to it and finding out for yourself.
I will say that this album stands out because it feels so cohesive. It moves subtly to different places without becoming redundant or tired, coating you in its coolness layer by layer until you’re completely submerged. Sometimes, this kind of music can feel rushed or urgent and the instruments crowd each other, but that’s not the case with Grave Pool, each instrument feels precisely placed and has its own room to flourish and play, all within its streamlined sleekness. It’s synth pop delicately placed into a dreamwave/shoegaze setting, and somehow it feels so right.
When Mnemonics is all over and done, you don’t feel wrong at all starting it right back over again. The nuance to this album is killer, and will have you listening to it all day, all week, and maybe all year. See for yourself.
I’ve been jamming to a lot of this new album from Pastel Ghost. The beats are really strong, creating a pounding sensation at almost every corner; it’s definitely a dance floor ready style (musically speaking). But, what really sold me on the Vivian Moon’s project is the way she’s opted to record the vocals; they’re coated in this really hazy smoothness that provides a soft underbelly to her driving electro tracks. If I took drugs, I would probably take them to this track…but don’t do drugs folks! Look for the debut album, Abyss, this week via 80s Ladies Records.
We’ve posted and shared our fascination with Alec West’s new solo project