-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Ambient * Ethereal *
Artist..: Strata Florida
Album...: Made Of Stars
GENRE....: Indie
STYLE....: Shoegaze, Ethereal, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Indie Pop
LABEL....: Saint Marie SCENE.....: 2015-11-30
BITRATE..: 974 kbps avg STORE.....: 2014-00-00
ENCODER..: FLAC 1.2.1 -8 -V TRACKS....: 10
SIZE.....: 321.5MB SOURCE....: CD
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/strataflorida
- TRACKLIST
1 By The Way 4:18
2 Au Naturel 4:00
3 Hang On 4:21
4 Run 4:57
5 Take Me Out 4:30
6 Sleeper 4:15
7 Automatic 4:27
8 Monster 4:05
9 Made Of Stars 5:10
10 Lost In The Shadows 5:51
Total Playtime: 45:54
Strata Florida is the newest project of Louise Trehy, formerly one half of
the 4AD duo Swallow.
Debut album Made Of Stars is only Trehy's second album in twenty years.
Swallow's flame flickered bright but brief in the early 1990s, and
disillusion after the bandÆs break up caused Trehy to abandon music
altogether. Her creative spark was revitalized after joining a local choir
while living in rural Wales; in 2011, she began recording again after meeting
guitarist Pete Pavli, and the duo subsequently enlisted drummer Steve Kent.
Made Of Stars connects Swallow's satisfying dream-pop style with a more
guitar-oriented sound, while Trehy's dreamy vocals remaining the luscious
aural attraction. The less-is-more approach of Made of Stars accentuates
Trehy's sensual voice, winning over new listeners whilst delighting those who
have waited two decades for a new album. Best of all is the promise of new
material; Strata Florida is Trehy's project; satisfied with her work, freed
from the pressures and expectations of indifferent record labels and a
fickle, cynical press, Trehy exudes a new confidence in herself and her band.
Made of Stars proves that Strata Florida is one of 2014's more satisfying
musical comebacks.
*
With all of the attention being paid to the new shoegaze and dream pop
movement, it's nice to see one of its original proponents re-emerge with a
new band. In 1993, Louise Trehy was one half of the U.K. dream pop duo
Swallow. Their lone release for the 4AD label received little attention at
the time, slipping through the cracks as the band broke up not long after.
Over 20 years later, Trehy has suddenly reappeared with the 2014 debut album
of her new project, Strata Florida. Made of Stars is a beguiling mix of
swirling lo-fi shoegaze guitar textures and hazy blissed-out vocals. Trehy
(having taught herself guitar over the intervening years) and collaborator
and bassist Peter Pavli offer up ten tracks full of haunting melody and sonic
experimentation that expand the boundaries of the genre. With this release,
they join the heady roster of acts at shoegaze specialists Saint Marie
Records.
*
Breathy Shoegaze Brings the Noise
Strata Florida is a project from former Swallow frontwoman Louise Trehy.
Equal parts dreamy shoegaze vocals, mid-tempo rhythms and swirling, distorted
guitar sounds, Starta Florida offers up a compelling summertime goulash:
opening track ôBy the Wayö offers lush, dreamy pop backed by some muscular
guitars and enough forward momentum to carry the listener irresistibly away.
The best tracks here follow the same formula: ôAu Naturelö with its chugging
guitars and sweet melody, ôRunö and ôMade of Starsö with their layers of
phase-shifting guitars. Not every tune is a winner, and the back half of the
album loses momentum, particularly as tempos remain in the range of
pleasantly jogging along without breaking a serious sweat. ThereÆs plenty
here to like, though, and TrehyÆs half-whispered vocals are compelling in
their admittedly limited range.
-=- 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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