Chicago’s Aurora L’Orealis release sophomore album
Chicago natives Aurora L’Orealis recently released their sophomore effort plainly titled Aurora L’Orealis. The album has been a long time in the making, several years in fact. But that’s nothing new in the shoegaze genre, where perfectionism is almost as integral an ingredient as expansive pedalboards. For those unfamiliar, Aurora L’Orealis take heavy influence from the shoegaze greats like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, but with added a distinctly aggressive edge. The 4-piece have undergone a couple lineup changes and evident sonic maturation since releasing their first EP, Autumn Frequencies, back in 2013.
Aurora L’Orealis is 33 minutes in length and broken into an A side and a B side, a rarity in contemporary music. The album opens up with a spacey instrumental intro, ‘Booster Ignition,’ which sets the tone, easing the listener into a reverb-drenched soundscape that draws to mind a lone astronaut floating in the ether.
Things really turn up on the second half of the album, which starts with ‘Interstage Separation’ before launching into the driving, almost dancey number ‘Supercollider.’ Next up is the real standout track, ‘Swirlies,’ on which frontman Patrick Dunn sings “You are what I see before I go to sleep / And when I wake, you’re gone,” barely above a whisper accompanied by lush guitar melodies. The final track, ‘Waste,’ which will be featured on Shuga Records’ upcoming compilation Multi-Tone Chicago Vol. 1, is densely layered with distorted guitars, yearning vocals, and drum beats so spaced out they almost sound underwater.
While the real meat of the album is weighted towards the B-side, the overall effect is cohesive and accomplished. Each song is a thoughtfully crafted pattern of rhythms and tones. Additionally, the consistent drone melody weaving between the songs creates a far out, thematic effect. Despite the celestial nature of the song titles, the non-instrumental songs certainly deal with very terrestrial emotions. However, it is important to note that what vocals are present are minimal and serve more as another sonic texture. In the midst of the so-called shoegaze revival, Aurora L’Orealis have managed to create an album that draws from the past, but still establishes their own unique sound.
For those who live in Chicago, Aurora L’Orealis will be opening up for The Besnard Lakes and the Life and Times at the Empty Bottle on May 15th. In the meantime, you can listen to their new album here. And please, be sure to turn it up loud.