EP Review + Stream: Craft Spells ‘Gallery’
So much for the sophomore slump here. Gallery, the sophomore release from Seattle’s Craft Spells, may just be even better than their first release Idle Labor this past year. While the band stays true to the dream pop sound that fastened hits like “After the Moment” and “Party Talk”, this EP brings that same style to a more polished beat and cohesiveness. On Idle Labor, the guitar at times felt as though it was leading the beat and pushing songs forward. The group has picked up a drum machine that makes all the difference. There’s a freshness, or maybe that the sound feels more alive, that I just can’t seem to shake from thinking about as I spin through the six tracks over and over again. My personal favorite song is the infectiously fun “Leave My Shadow”. Packing some serious 80’s vibes, the song features the best of Idle Labor’s uniqueness with the present sound of the group on this EP.
Stream the album below and if you like what you hear, you can pick it up at your local record store today with a pressing from Captured Tracks.
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Written by Greg Dahman
Fresh Track: Beach Fossils “Shallow”
Brooklynites and Thought on Tracks favorites Beach Fossils released their first single since their acclaimed 2011 EP What A Pleasure this week. The song is called “Shallow” and will be released on a 7” February 21st via Captured Tracks along with another new track called “Lessons”. The song, which you can check out below, is the similar hazy, dream pop we’ve come to expect from the guys, and to me, that’s a very good thing. Rumored to be working on their sophomore LP currently, if this track didn’t make the cut, we are surely in for something great on the next album.
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Written by Greg Dahman
Video: Dive – Newtown Sessions
Dive is the side project of Beach Fossils guitarist Zachary Cole Smith who takes up front man duties along with fellow members Devin Perez, Andrew Bailey, and Colby Hewitt. The sound is a similar to Beach Fossils in that it still brings a hazy, dreamlike vibe over lo-fi, but there’s a much harder, faster paced guitar driving the songs. Following the 2011 trend of “going to Walden Pond” to hone your artistic craft, Zachary Cole is said to have settled into a wooden room sans running water and air conditioning in the steaming Brooklyn summer to work on his music. With these results, it’s hard to argue with the guy…this sound is right where it needs to be. The video below is a look at three tracks by the band in a live studio session at Newtown Radio. Frankly, if you don’t enjoy it, we probably couldn’t listen to music together.
Dive has two 7” records currently out, Sometime and Human, which you can purchase on the band’s label, Captured Tracks. The debut, currently untitled, EP from the band is presently slated for a March release. Watch their trio of songs “Sometime”, “Wait” and “Untitled” below:
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Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 