-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Ambient * Ethereal *
Artist..: We Need Secrets
Album...: Melancholy And The Archive
GENRE....: Indie
STYLE....: Shoegaze
LABEL....: Saint Marie SCENE.....: 2015-02-13
BITRATE..: 867 kbps avg STORE.....: 2014-00-00
ENCODER..: FLAC 1.2.1 -8 -V TRACKS....: 11
SIZE.....: 236.5MB SOURCE....: CD
URL..: http://www.saintmarierecords.com/artists/we-need-secrets
- TRACKLIST
1 How You Remember 3:13
2 Months Like Years 2:49
3 I Would Take You Over Me 3:57
4 Melancholy 3:11
5 Uncommitted Crimes 4:02
6 The Archive 3:11
7 Pain Lines 2:16
8 Auster 3:48
9 Sleeper 2:52
10 Interiors 3:52
11 Cycles 5:15
Total Playtime: 38:26
Collection of shoegazey but catchy pop jams fit together perfectly.
Melancholy And The Archive is the first full-length release from Nova Scotia,
CanadaÆs We Need Secrets, the pet project of Chad Peck (Kestrels, Noyes
Records). All songs were written, recorded, and performed by Chad, with guest
appearances by ANGO, Elliott Frazier (Ringo Deathstarr), Paul Brown
(Kestrels), and Omar Husain (Aim Low). Frazier also mixed the LP, which was
mastered by Bob Weston of Shellac.
ôMelancholy and the Archiveö was brought to fruition over a four year period.
With this record, we see the full actualization of ChadÆs artistic vision.
This collection of shoegazey but catchy pop jams fit together perfectly to
form a perfect document of the genius of Chad Peck.
For fans of: My Bloody Valentine, Swirlies, EricÆs Trip, Slowdive, The Pains
of Being Pure at Heart, Ringo Deathstarr, Lilys, Starflyer 59, Built To Spill
*
From its name to its sound, We Need Secrets is steeped in nostalgia:
Kestrels' Chad Peck took the name of a Pavement song for the project's
moniker and pays homage to the scruffier side of shoegaze (Swirlies, Eric's
Trip, Isn't Anything-era My Bloody Valentine) in his songs. It's fitting,
then, that Melancholy and the Archive offers a more self-reflexive take on
the dream pop revival that, by the time of the album's release, had lasted
longer than the original movement did. Peck borrowed the name of his friend
Jonathan Boulter's examination of trauma, memory, and history in contemporary
fiction for his debut album's title, and name-checks author Paul Auster (one
of the subjects of Boulter's book) in one of its most jagged, abstract songs.
Melancholy and the Archive's expressions of memories, how we hold them, and
how they define us are most clearly expressed in the music; Peck's vocals are
often buried under a mountain of feedback and distortion, for proper shoegaze
effect. Not surprisingly, the songs that make up the album's title are among
the highlights. "Melancholy"'s irresistible fizz and fuzz fulfill the classic
pop aim of turning sadness into joy, while "The Archive" is a fine example of
the heavy, looming sound perfected by bands like Lilys back in the day.
Indeed, the album often feels like a sampler of shoegaze's different facets,
spanning the tremolo-happy "How You Remember" to the gliding "Cycles" to the
pedal-stomping noise-fest of "Pain Lines." Sometimes Peck's mastery of these
sounds is more convincing than his songwriting, but Melancholy and the
Archive's balance of cerebral ambition and heart offers a lot for fans of
dream pop from the '80s, '90s, and onward.
*
Chad Peck is a Canadian artist involved in Kestrels, which has released a few
number of recordings by PeckÆs own label Noyes Records. We Need Secrets is a
solo-project he set up a few years ago now and which released some EPÆs by
Noyes Records as well.
Saint Marie Records is progressively gaining some reputation as shoegaze
label so itÆs not a surprise to see this album released by the American
label. ôMelancholy And The Archiveö takes off with an easy recognizable
shoegaze style carried by typical fuzzy guitar parts. Dreamy vocal parts are
recovering this promising debut cut with grace. The work progressively
evolves towards harder cuts characterized by solid guitar riffs and even some
solo parts.
ThereÆs a cool twist between the typically misty, shoegaze driven guitar
parts and a few soloÆs, which are more rock-minded. ôI Would Take You Over
Meö is a quite typical song in the genre.
I personally prefer the more æold-styledÆ shoegaze-like ôMelancholyö, which
also is one of the most noticeable cuts. A similar impression comes back on
songs like ôUncommited Crimesö and ôPain Linesö. ôAusterö is another
interesting piece for the kind of soaring touch filled with darkness.
ôMelancholy And The Archiveö is not exactly a kind of æfeel-goodÆ release. It
sounds pretty dark while the main theme of the lyrics clearly reflects a
heavy melancholic touch. A very last song I want to mention is ôInteriorsö
for its psychedelic touch recovering this composition.
Conclusion: We Need Secrets is a logical and promising addition to the Saint
Marie roster. This album features a nice twist between old-styled shoegaze
songs and some rock & progressive inspired cuts.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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