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Theresa’s Sound World

Later, I review Tears On Demand on Shore Dive Records. Expect my track by track analysis of this five tune release much, much later. For now

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Theresa’s Sound World

Theresa’s Sound World #MusicWriter #MusicBlog #TSW #MusicReviews #TheresasSoundWorld #AlbumReviews #MusicReviewer #MusicVlogs #MusicVlogge

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Product: 2378 Indie Vlog #4 of 16: The Wedding Present

Product: 2378 Indie Vlog #4 of 16: The Wedding Present In this series of Vlogs I talk about the 1990 Indie compilation ‘Product 2378’. Each

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#TrackOfTheDay Band: Mayu Track: Theia Genre/s: DreamPop/Shoegaze Release Date: 24th March 2020 Preferred listening platform: Bandcamp The

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Album: Congelado

Band: Nax

Genre: Shoegaze/Dreampop/Indie

Year of Release: 2020

Album of the day is ‘Congelado’ by Argentinian Shoegaze/Dreampop band, Nax. As with previous reviews of a new album, I appraise it track by track. This is going to be a good one, here we go!

1. Aniversarios: A fast-paced song, uncompromised by it’s speed. Although ethereal and psychedelic, this song is constructed like a pop song. Nax are smart to obey the unwritten ‘30 second Intro’ rule. That is an intro over 30 seconds can lose the listener. Nax know how to work a good tune though and certainly kept my attention. The intro has a forward racing movement, going straight into the vocals. This song, like all on the album are sung in Spanish. I’m an ignorant English Person and although my son learns Spanish now at school, back in my day (sound like an old fart) learning a foreign language was optional. So I don’t understand what Nax are singing, but I won’t look at the translation of the lyrics in the Bandcamp blurb.This is because I’ve always found, not knowing what someone is singing about, can give a mysterious edge to the vocals. If the singer can convey emotion without their words being understood, then that’s a talent, & the singer of Nax is expert at this. It’s similar for me to say, French Rapper, MC Solaar. I kind of know bits of what he’s conveying, but generally I don’t know. That’s when the voice becomes like an instrument. For bands like Nax who are essentially Shoegaze, the voice does work like an instrument. Nax’s singer’s voice is clear and punctuated, but still has that dream-like quality associated with the genre. Also, having a Spanish-language Shoegaze band makes them stand-out, refreshing and a somewhat different. Back to this song though, the dreamy guitar chimes give room for the voice and the song twists and turns, breaking down to a voice and drum only part, with bass stabs, before the luscious guitars kick back in. There is a middle 8 where the vocals and guitar are simultaneous rather than the traditional ‘question and answer’ effect that’s present in a lot of pop and rock. This builds tension that is released and goes back to the more familiar hooks of the song. The tune ends with swirling, atmospheric guitar effects, decaying and fading the song out.

2. Noche: There’s a brief drum intro on this track, then were hit with an instrumentally Smiths-esque sound, going straight into quite a vocal-dominated track. The chorus is bang!- straight in too, no hanging about;,how it should be. There’s some effective bridging parts between chorus and verse, not dominated by a guitar solo, in effect, giving a sense of space. On this track (and the whole album), the production is great. It’s clear, well mixed- all elements come through. This tune is laden with pop hooks, the vocals are so rich and powerful.

3. Haceme Olvidar: Slower in pace, relaxed and unhurried, this track leans towards a Dreampop type sound. There is a fuzzy, but very beautiful wall of sound underpinning this time. Some lovely guitar, bass and drum work. The relaxed pace gives the listener space to pick out and enjoy the instrumentation. This tune is anthemic- the vocals have real emotion in there. The song progresses into a fuzzier, heavier part, which is welcome and doesn’t compromise the song.

4. Hechos de agua: Starting with gorgeous feedback, this number has a powerful, punk feel- although the guitar is feeding back in the intro, the bass and drums shine through. Following the feedback, a jangly guitar sound flys in, complete with Byrds-esque arpeggios. The chorus is more strummy in terms of guitar, giving the vocals chance to create some lovely hooks with those beautiful rolling ‘r’s.

5. Angeles de Hieto: Starting with mellow guitar tones, then crashing into something nosier, but still kind on the ears, this song progresses into the most psychedelic of verses yet on the album. It is a pop song, but is encased in a spacey, effects-laden bubble. The chorus is fuzzy, distorted, but not discordant. Like Haceme Olvidar, it’s an anthem. There’s some nice, spaced out sustaining guitar lines in this tune. The chorus is perhaps the most memorable. It’s noisy, poppy, a joy to listen to.

6. Luna: The shortest song on the album and the least in its use of guitar effects. This is a constantly evolving Indie-Pop tune, which keeps the interest of the listener. The vocals are present in nearly the whole song, serving as a departure from what we’ve heard so far. It’s a welcome one though, providing the listener with a diverse audio experience. Plus it ends on a clean-picked guitar solo and never looks back.

7. Repetidor: This tune is firmly back in Shoegaze territory. The band creates a shimmering sonic landscape in this one. The bass technique reminds me a little of John Entwistle of The Who, serving more like a lead instrument. If my ears don’t deceive me, that’s an acoustic guitar coming in as the guitar effects weave in and out. The vocals are perhaps further back in the mix (not too much though) to enhance the song. There are some more traditional, almost glam-rock style guitar licks. Really different, perhaps reminiscent of Ziggy Stardust era David Bowie and Mick Ronson’s flamboyant guitar. The drums get a good bit of space to thrive, with a proper pounding beat. This song has echoey, trance like sections, with plenty of delay, reverb and echo. The song ends with a distant but distinct tremolo guitar.

8. Girasoles: This time, the drums and bass get more prominence, with the vocals drifting hypnotically further back in the mix. The song floats past, it’s so mellow and that drum sound is so spot on. The tune remains pop-like. The vocalist really showcases their voice and echo effects on it, serve to provide atmosphere and tone. The song takes a turn into the visceral soundscape of fuzzy and clean guitars. The clean provides the lead. This tune then breaks down into a sonically creative flurry of inventive ideas as it fades out.

9. Kria: Another slower number, with bass and drums reminiscent of a Slowcore band, maybe like the old 4AD band, Red House Painters. This tune has an unhurried intro, before a spacious and unfussy verse (instrumentally-wise) means the vocalist can belt that voice out. Instead of a chorus, guitars get chance to jang and chime between the vocal parts. There is an escalation of effects-laden guitars; the release comes as the effects pedals are played and altered seemingly by hand, ala Sonic Youth style or how Noel Gallagher of Oasis would alter his pedals by hand at the end of a tune.

10. Congelado: The last tune again is anthemic, a proper Dreampop tune to see us out, complete with mellow psychedelic instrumentation and other-worldly vocals. This reminds me musically of Victorialand-era Cocteau Twins. It has a very hummable chorus and the band never forget it’s a pop-tune, albeit a trippy one. There is a lovely section of vocals and guitar only, before a buzzing tremolo and thumping drum middle 8 kick in. Following this an interstellar guitar solo fades out and finishes the album.

⭐️What I like about this album is that the band never lose sight of their songs. They don’t self-indulge themselves. Any more psychedelic parts and ideas are kept to a minimum, so the listener will experience the band’s pure creativity. The album is relatively short, but is punchy with it. It’s a smooth, mellow, listening experience. The band are very distinctive, they have a style and presence of their own. The album is expertly crafted, with lots of creative ideas present and diverse tempos and structures of songs. It’s wonderful!⭐️

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☀️Listen to this album on Bandcamp☀️: https://naxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/congelado-lp