The Holydrug Couple

Moonlust

Written by: BV on 01/06/2015 15:38:54

Dream pop is a fairly intangible type of music by virtue. Often built around airy, floating synthesizer layers and spacious vibes, the music, much like dreams themselves, often focuses on a sense of desire - what is being desired, however, is entirely inconsequential. Like dreams, dream pop is a vague type of music that has many different interpretations and perceptions dependent on the listener’s surroundings and mindset. The Holydrug Couple from Santiago, Chile have seemingly embraced their fondness for this very type of music, that slightly Air-inspired and uniquely lush type of psychedelic pop music on their newest effort “Moonlust”.

Whether on the electronica-sounding album opener “Atlantic Postcard” or later highpoint “Submarine Gold”, The Holydrug Couple seemingly thrive when constructing catchy bass-grooves on top of which dense layers of hypnotizing synthesizers can be meticulously crafted. There’s a slightly droning feel to many of the tracks found on “Moonlust” in spite of the almost inherent pop-nature of the album. Repetition could be a primary goal for the band, but for every bar of repetitive grooves there is a new melodic twist to be found, thus making the sounds progress from their initial repetition into full-on sonic adventures.

With “Dreamy”, one of the strongest tracks on the album, The Holydrug Couple have masterfully crafted a pop-song you can float away to without a single care in the world. It works like a perfect soundtrack to those incredibly warm summer days where all you really want to do is lie down in the shade of a tree, contemplating everything and nothing all at once, losing yourself to every single of your mind's whimsies. It’s grandiose in a strange way, as the gorgeous synth sounds beef up the soundscape into a near-orchestral affair constantly driven forward by a ridiculously groovy rhythm section; and it’s here in this slightly odd combination we find the greatest songwriting strength of The Holydrug Couple which also springs to mind on tracks like “Baby, I’m Going Away” and “Light or Night”.

At its core, “Moonlust” captures most of what I felt was either downplayed or missing entirely from the band’s previous effort “Noctuary”, making it not only a stronger album but also a highly pristine representation of The Holydrug Couple at their very best. Although it can be derivative at times, the sound presented here is everything I love about dream pop and I honestly can’t wait to see what The Holydrug Couple will come up with next time around.

Download: Baby, I'm Going Away; Dreamy, Light or Night
For The Fans Of: Air, Föllakzoid, Tame Impala
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 12.05.2015
Sacred Bones Records


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