The Infinity Ring - Ataraxia (2025)

"New England’s best kept secret", The Infinity Ring released their sophomore album and I have to say that there is tons to unveil here. This collective atmospheric but also very artsy and very dark rock music is meant to enchant everyone who tastes it. One can only appreciate the range of feelings the album triggers: from the intimate melancholia up to the euphoria of the loud crescendos.

The first thing you notice when listening to the Americans' music is how deep Cameron Moretti's vocal is. It's almost Leonard Cohen-esque so you can imagine the structure of the voice you can practically feel on your skin. The second thing would be how beautifully complex their compositions are. Always starting from the point of calm darkness and sometimes maintaining this atmosphere til the very end, sometimes bursting into loud and noisy, orchestral-like giant made of notes, out of which each is equally important. I, being a post-rock fan, prefer slightly the latter with the absolute masterpiece entitled Elysium in the first place.

And since the loudness and the calmness here are both fueled by violin sounds, you can be sure that the atmosphere on the album is the most important thing. Being an enormous challenge to make, the album itself is a monument to "the exploration, the emotional toll and ultimately the ecstasy of creation" while the band is praised not only for not breaking under the pressure of the process but also for live performances. I hope to be able to experience the latter on my own one day.

Ataraxia costs 7 EUR (11 CAD).

Check: Elysium

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: dark&artsy post-rock

Label: Profound Lore

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Trystaria - On that which remains only in withering memory (2023)

The "sonic self-amelioration" project from Massachusetts called Trystaria is active on their Bandcamp for half a year now, but it didn't keep them from releasing a handful of album already. The last one is called On that which remains only in withering memory.

It is almost an hour of soft drones and lengthy ambients that create a calm and nostalgic soundscape one would love to get lost in. The minimalist music makes the whole world around you further away and less significant as you fall deeper and deeper into this meditative state filled with melancholia and ghosts from the past.

On that which remains only in withering memory costs whatever you want to pay.

Check: Diadem of long-vanished anticipation II

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: ambient soundscape

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cash - deluged (2022)

As far as I know, Cash debuted as an artist focused mostly on piano compositions. And while he was really good at this, those times are long gone. The India-born musician is now way more interested in the electronic sounds ranging freely from trip-hop to ambient and he proves it on his third album called deluged.

The synthy ambient soundscapes (a world of difference) are presented against the very trip-hop songs like submerged, creating together a unique experience that brings everything electronic music can be liked for. But it doesn't mean that Cash lost interest in the beauty of keys either: you can easily hear how good they sound in the bass-heavy asphyxia and the calmer plumeria. And the further the album goes, the more neoclassical it gets. The pace gets down, the subtle beauty of piano keys goes up. The airiness and the nostalgia-inducing ability of the album's finish is really something to go back to.

deluged costs 7 USD.

c a s h, 4lienetic - Abstract (2019)

c a s h - collision course (2019)

Cash - The Sounds My Heart Makes EP (2018)

Check: deluged (rework)

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: moody electronica

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Neonach - II (2021)

Craig Douglas debuted with his project Neonach only a year ago and he managed to got back with a follow-up album already in the final days of the last year. I love how unique and fresh the artist's music feels while still deriving the best parts from established music genres of shoegaze and psychedelia.

The uniqueness of Douglas' music is bound to the use of electronics means to achieve an unbelievably fun and smooth flow in his music. The songs seem to slide from one to another like people dancing on ice. And it doesn't matter that the follow-up album seems to be heavier than the debut, it's still the same, immersive and inviting atmosphere. There are moments of shocking noise (like in my favourite A Dream that sound almost like something taken from dubstep but melted in the ethereality of this music) or even metal-like galloping pace (in Human) but even they are so fantastically catchy thanks to the use of ethereal choirs and synth-like backgrounds. As well as the particularly distorted vocals that may feel like taken from older psychedelic rock records but feel very well fitted in the modern music the artist creates.

II costs 7 USD.

Neonach - Neonach (2021)

Check: A Dream

Country: Massachusetts, US 

Genre: electronic psychedelic rock

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Neonach - Neonach (2021)

Neonach is a solo project by Craig Douglas, another artist who developed his ideas during the lockdown season. Thanks to Shore Dive Records, I'm lucky to discover his music on the debut album called, of course, Neonach.

To be precise, it's the debut album under this moniker, as the Massachusetts-based artist creates music also as Omega Vague. As Neonach, he makes music that borders both ethereal dream pop and psychedelic electronica while still not shying away from reaching towards such extreme genres as metal (the background-placed, dispersed metal screaming in Volution is something absolutely beautiful) or noisy drones (Below). He has also a help of other vocalists: Izzy Hagerup, Tara Toms and Waritsara 'Yui' Karlberg (known as Ethereal) - they all add up to the dreaminess of this music as well as to its multidimensional vibes.

This multidimensional nature makes the whole album a psychedelic trip through many aesthetic choices and paces while all the time having the dreamy, ethereal spirit all over the place. This is the release's great advantage that goes on from the impressive start to the equally interesting finish.

Neonach costs 5 USD.

Check: Volution 

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: psychedelic dream rock

Label: Shore Dive Records

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Patient Minds - Isolation (2020) EN

Patient Minds is Richard Jarmuzewski, sound engineer and ambient artist who in February released a new album. And this is a great deal of a really good electronics. Let's listen to Isolation.

The album with the title extremely fitting to the nowadays situation, is made of dark, but not too dark, ambient. So it has this heavy, depressive atmosphere that is even boosted by the powerful basses, but on the other hand, it is not a droning soundscape. Because there's a lot going on on the album. There's no second without something happening in Jarmuzewski's music. Sometimes it's some peaceful sounds, sometimes almost apocalyptic, as in Oymyakon, a track that sounds like dancing on a war front. 

Isolation costs 9,99 USD.

Chck: Oymyakon

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: dark ambient

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Patient Minds - Isolation (2020) PL

Patient Minds to Richard Jarmuzewski, dźwiękowiec i ambientowy artysta, który w lutym wydał swoją nową płytę. I jest to kawał naprawdę dobrej elektroniki. Posłuchajcie ze mną Isolation.

Płyta o tytule wybitnie pasującym do obecnej sytuacji, to mroczny, ale nie za mroczny ambient. A więc ma on ciężką, depresyjną atmosferę, którą w dodatku potęguje potężny bas, ale z drugiej strony nie jest to dronujący soundcape. Bo na płycie dzieje się dużo. Nie ma chwili by coś, na jakimś poziomie muzyki Jarmuzewskiego się nie działo. Czasem są to łagodniejsze dźwięki, czasem wręcz apokaliptyczne, tak jak w brzmiącym jak taniec na wojennym froncie Oymyakon. 

Isolation kosztuje 40 złotych (9,99 USD).

Sprawdź: Oymyakon

Kraj: Massachusetts, US

Szufladka: dark ambient

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Caspian - On Circles (2020) PL

Oczywiście tego zespołu nikomu przedstawiać nie trzeba. Amerykanie wydali swój piąty album, którym potwierdzają, że są w ścisłym topie światowego post-rocka. Jeśli ktoś jeszcze go nie słyszał, teraz jest czas na On Circles.

Jest ona bez wątpienia flirtem z chaosem. To z niego wyłania się pierwszy kawałek, Wildblood, to on czyha w każdym kolejnym gdzieś pod powierzchnią gitarowych melodii, przejawiając się a to w brzmiącym całkiem elektronicznie Flowers of Light, a to w post-hardcorowym Nostalgist, czy w końcu w zachwycających rozmachem i post-rockową monumentalnością Onsra (niefortunna nazwa dla polskich odbiorców) i moim ulubionym Collapser.

Podobnie jak to zrobili niedawno We Lost the Sea, Amerykanie urozmaicili swoją płytę kawałkiem, który nie dość, że zawiera wokale, to jeszcze klimatycznie i gatunkowo jest daleko od reszty albumu. Tutaj zaśpiewał Kyle Durfey, wokalista Pianos Become the Teeth, którego wielu kojarzy raczej z post-hardcorowych wrzasków, tutaj pokazał więcej chwytliwej liryczności. Jesli chodzi o gości to pojawia się również fantastyczna Jo Quail ze swoją wiolonczelą. Solidna płyta.

On Circles kosztuje 32 złote (8 USD).

Sprawdź: Collapser

Kraj: Massachusetts, US

Szufladka: chaotic post-rock

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Caspian - On Circles (2020) EN

Of course I don't have to introduce this band to anyone. The Americans released their 5th album recently and proved their the absolute top of the world's post-rock scene. If somebody hasn't listened to it yet, it's time for On Circles.

It's undoubtedly a flirt with chaos. It's where the first track, Wildblood, emerges from, it's what lurks somewhere under the layer of guitar melodies appearing in quite electronic form in Flowers of Light, or in the post-hardcore in Nostalgist, and finally, it's what inspires awe with the grandeur and monumentality in Onsra and in my favourite Collapser.

Similarly to what We Lost the Sea did, the Americans enriched their album with a song that involves vocals and is quite far from the rest of the album climatically and genre-esquelly speaking. The singer here is Kyle Durfey, the vocalist of Pianos Become the Teeth, whose probably more associated with post-hardcore screaming by many people, here showed some lyricism. Another great guest here is also the fantastic Jo Quail with her cello. Solid stuff.

On Circles costs 8 USD.

Check: Collapser

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: chaotic post-rock

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Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Nocebo (2019) EN

Elizabeth Colour Wheel, punking shoegazers or shoegazing punk rockers from US released their new album. After they were posted about on this blog a year ago with their Queen Tired, now are back with probably even better album called Nocebo.

Because it has it all: mature compositions, poignant vocal (making the back thrill in the opening track Pink Palm) that seamlessly turn into lo-fi punk screams. And greatly energetic music layer successfully combining punk's fast pace and shoegaze's atmosphere. And of course a lot of experiments like in the first track's outro in Somnambulist.

It gets even better when the level of experimenting goes to its heights, just like in the ambient Bedrest, in 34th and its unorthodox composition and finally in Head Home that closes the album in the characteristic for the Americans way: with a great messy explosion.

Nocebo costs 7 USD.

Check: Pink Palm

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: punkgaze

Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Queen Tired (2018) EN

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Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Nocebo (2019) PL

Elizabeth Colour Wheel, punkujący shoegazerzy albo shoegaze'ujący punkowcy ze Stanów pokazali swój nowy album. Po tym jak rok temu byli bohaterami postu na blogu z płytą Queen Tired, teraz wracają z jeszcze chyba lepszym Nocebo.

Bo nowa płyta ma wszystko: dojrzałe kompozycje, przejmujący wokal (ciarki przechodzą po grzbiecie przy otwierającym album Pink Palm), który płynnie przechodzi w lo-fi'owe, punkowe krzyki. A także pełną energii warstwę muzyczną, która udanie łączy punkową szybkość i shoegaze'ową atmosferę. Oraz oczywiście dużo eksperymentów jak udanie wieńczące pierwszy kawałek outro Somnambulist.

Najciekawiej robi się, gdy eksperymentalność osiąga swoje zenity jak w ambientowym Bedrest, 34th i jego nietypowej konstrukcji czy w końcu w Head Home, zamykającym całość  w charakterystyczny dla Amerykanów sposób: wielką rozpierduchą.

Nocebo kosztuje 27 złotych (7 USD).

Sprawdź: Pink Palm

Kraj: Massachusetts, US

Szufladka: punkgaze

Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Queen Tired (2018) PL

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Astronoid - Astronoid (2019) PL

Astronoid to zespół z Bostonu awangardowe połączenie onirycznego shoegaze'u z metalowym tempem dyktowanym przez nigdy nie zmęczoną perkusję. Piszą na swoim fanpejdżu takie słowa: "Kreacja powinna być momentem samorealizacji. Pełen potencjał i obietnice stają się spełnione, a kolejny krok możliwy". Dla bostończyków takim momentem jest właśnie najnowszy, drugi album Astronoid, na którym zdaje się słychać najdojrzalszą i najlepszą wersję zespołu. 

Ktoś na Bandcampie porównał brzmienie Astronoid do cięższego, bardziej rockowego Mew i niech mnie diabli jeśli nie miał racji (zresztą "mew" to jeden z tagów, którym opisali swój nowy album na Bandcampie). Wokal Bretta Bolanda do złudzenia przypomina brzmienie Jonasa Bjerre, a to nic prostego. O singlowym I Dream in Lines napisali "Zniekształcone gitary wiją się wokół obrzęknięć sprzężeń podczas gdy wokal odbija się emocjonalnym echem będąc hipnotyzującym ciosem" i to tylko podkreśla wrażenie, że Atronoid to tak naprawdę Mew z innego uniwersum, w którym zaczęli grać głośniejszy, wręcz metalowy i bardziej oniryczny shoegaze nie tracąc nic ze swojej przebojowości i umiejętności pisania urokliwych kompozycji. Płyta jest bardzo równa i ciężko wskazać wyróżniające się kawałki, może poza singlem i świetnymi Fault i I Wish I Was There While the Sun Set.

Astronoid kosztuje ile chcesz zapłacić (sugerowana cena od 3 euro wzwyż).

Sprawdź: I Wish I Was There While the Sun Set

Kraj: Massachusetts, US

Szufladka: avant-garde shoegaze

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Astronoid - Astronoid (2019) EN

Astronoid is a Bostonu-based avant-garde combination of oneiric shoegaze and metal pace dictated by the never-tired drums. On they fanpage, they mention the following words: "Creation should feel like a moment of self-actualization. Full potential and promise become fulfilled, and the next step can be taken". For the Americans, this moment came with showing to the world their second album Astronoid that bring us the most mature and the best version of the band.

On their Bandcamp page, there is someone's comment comparing Astronoid to a heavier, more rock Mew and I'll be damned if it's not true (also note that "mew" is one of the tags the band used to describe the album). Brett Boland's vocal is almost exactly alike the sound of Jonas Bjerre and it's not an easy thing. About their single, entitled I Dream in Lines, they wrote "Distorted guitars curl around swells of feedback as the vocals echo with emotion during a hypnotic hook" and it only emphasize the impression that Astronoid is really another universe's Mew who started to play almost metal and very much oneiric shoegaze without losing nothing from their catchiness and the ability to write the charming compositions. The album is very well-balanced and it's difficult to point to its best track, although it maybe could be the single or the great Fault and I Wish I Was There While the Sun Set.

Astronoid costs whatever you can pay (suggested price is 3 EUR and more).

Check: I Wish I Was There While the Sun Set

Country: Massachusetts, US

Genre: avant-garde shoegaze

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WatchCamp August'18 - Bardia Haddad, Glass Horses, Gold Muse, Marunata, San Carol (2018) EN

Bardia Haddad - Fly/Burn

Mini concept album about Ikarus and Dedalus from neoclassical and ambient artist from Iran. Two tracks cost whatever you pay.

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Glass Horses - Satellites

Guitar psychedelia with airy, shoegaze vocals straight from London. The single and its remix cost 1 GBP.

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Gold Muse - Flower / Sterling

Small supergroup made of members of Swirlies, Soccer Mom and Elephants playing some dense and extremely airy, Slowdive-esque shoegaze. Two tracks cost 2 USD.

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Marunata - Dernières Réminiscences

French almost solo project from Manako is a mix of progressive rock, metal, shoegaze and some more things with fantastic moments and changes of pace all around. Two long tracks can be yours for 1 EUR.

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San Carol - Cancer

Dream pop project lead by Maxime Dobosz comes back after two years with new, catchy content. The single costs 1 EUR.

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WatchCamp August'18 - Bardia Haddad, Glass Horses, Gold Muse, Marunata, San Carol (2018) PL

Bardia Haddad - Fly/Burn

Mini concept album o Ikarze i Dedalu od neoklasycznego i ambientowego artysty z Iranu. Dwa utwory kosztują tyle, ile zapłacisz.

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Glass Horses - Satellites

Gitarowa psychodela z eterycznym, shoegaze'owym wokalem prosto z Londynu. Singiel i remix kosztują 5 złotych (1 GBP).

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Gold Muse - Flower / Sterling

Mała supergrupa złożona z członków Swirlies, Soccer Mom i Elephants grająca gęsty i wyjątkowo eteryczny shoegaze a'la Slowdive. Dwa utwory kosztują 8 złotych (2 USD).

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Marunata - Dernières Réminiscences

Francuski prawie jednoosobowy projekt Manako to mix rocka progresywnego, metalu, shoegaze'u i jeszcze kilku innych rzeczy z wieloma fantastycznymi momentami i zwrotami akcji. Dwa długie kawałki można mieć za 5 złotych (1 EUR).

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San Carol - Cancer

Dreampopowy projekt prowadzony przez Maxime'a Dobosza wraca po dwóch latach z nowym, wciągającym kawałkiem. Singiel kosztuje 5 złotych (1 EUR).

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Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Queen Tired (2018) EN

In the "information" section on their Facebook account, there is only one word: "loud". They borrowed their name from a title of a song by a slightly forgotten American shoegaze classic band, Lilys. In their band picture, they look like punks wanting to destroy everything. Elizabeth Colour Wheel, shoegazers from Boston have released a short but meaty album.

Three tracks present a combination of punkishly raw guitars and female vocal with a great range. The whole things sounds like something from the border of shoegaze and exciting punk music, the noise atmosphere consumes the audience and the vocal emits incredible amounts of emotions. Just like in "Mika Says" in which for a long time a listener is surprised by the quality of the vocal which in the end collapses and leads the way to a dirty, energetic finish.

If dream pop is one side of shoegaze, the Americans are on its exactly opposite end. The tracks stimulates to go wild and have no place for any moments of an airy peace. Even a slower beginning of "Unknown Tomb" radiates dangerously unsettling atmosphere blasting from time to time with great noise. And if anyone still has any doubts about the band's punk nature, it's worth mentioning that almost the whole, 17-minutes-long "Pomsky" makes a love tribute to ugly, droning reverbs. And also beautiful.

"Queen Tired" costs whatever you would pay.

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Elizabeth Colour Wheel - Queen Tired (2018) PL

Na swoim koncie na Fejsbuku w rubryce "informacje" wpisali tylko "głośno". Swoją nazwę pożyczyli z tytułu utworu jednej z trochę zapomnianych ikon shoegaze'u, amerykańskich Lilys. Na zdjęciu wyglądają jak niszczący wszystko punkowcy. Elizabeth Colour Wheel, shoegazerowcy z Bostonu wydali krótką płytę ale ile na niej jest!

Trzy kawałki to połączenie punkowo chropowatych gitar i kobiecego wokalu o wspaniałych osiągach. Całość brzmi jak coś na granicy shoegaze'u i ekscytującego punku, noise'owa atmosfera pochłania a wokal emanuje emocjami. Tak jak w "Mika Says", gdzie przez dłuższy czas zdumiewa swoją jakością by w końcu załamać się i doprowadzić do brudnego ale kipiącego od energii finału.

Jeśli dream pop to jedna ze stron shoegaze'u, Amerykanie są na jego dokładnie przeciwległym końcu. Pobudzające do wściekłego pogo utwory nie pozwalają na ani chwilę eterycznego spokoju. Nawet spokojnie zaczynający się "Unknown Tomb" epatuje niebezpiecznie niepokojącą atmosferą co chwilę wybuchającą wspaniałym hałasem. A jeśli jeszcze ktoś ma wątpliwości co do punkowej natury zespołu, warto zauważyć, że prawie cały 17-minutowy utwór "Pomsky" to umiłowanie brzydkich, dronujących reverbów. I pięknych.

"Queen Tired" kosztuje ile zapłacisz.

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Sujo - A Deeper Curse (2017) EN

Sujo, a Massachusetts based project, despite its mysterious form, has extremely expressive message. It is dressed in droning post-rock full of humming and blurry shapes drowning in grey smoke. Perhaps it is easy to say where the smoke comes from.

It’s enough to look at the cover photo with a black and white picture and then decipher song titles (Haganah and Lehi are the names of Israel paramilitary organisations and phosphorus is a nasty weapon). Also the name of the project is meaningful since in Portuguese it means “foul”, “unclean” as in “foul play”. So, war is the leitmotif of the whole album but what is it actually? According to the album’s title it is indeed a “deeper curse” instead of a “deeper cause”.

"A Deeper Curse" goes for 5 USD.

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Sujo - A Deeper Curse (2017) PL

Sujo, projekt z Massachusetts, mimo formy wydaje się być niezwykle wymowny przekaz. Ubrany jest on w drone'ujący post-rock pełny szumów i niewyraźnych figur tonących w szarym dymie. Być może łatwo zgadnąć skąd ten dym się bierze.

Wystarczy spojrzeć na czarno białe zdjęcie na okładce, a potem rozszyfrować tytuły utworów (Haganah i Lechi to izraelskie organizacje paramilitarne, fosfor to znana z niezwykłego okrucieństwa broń). Natomiast nazwa zespołu po portugalsku oznacza tyle co "brudny, nieczysty" w znaczeniu "brudne zagranie". Motywem przewodnim płyty jest więc wojna, a czym więc ona jest? Sądząc po tytule całości, jest ona właśnie głębszą klątwą ("curse"), a nie ważniejszą racją ("casue").

"A Deeper Curse" kosztuje 20 złotych (5 USD).

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Sky Flying By - Miscellany (2017) EN

As the title suggests. "Miscelany" is a compilation of miscellaneous tracks that had been collected by the post-rockers from Sky Flying By for some time. They mention that the album "was a long time in the making only no one, including Sky Flying By, knew it". It's a collection of never finished, unpublished tracks that deserved a second life. And they had just got it.

Into seduces from the very beginning with guitar backgrounds and pleasant keys and in a moment they are joined by almost disco-like rhythm that adds to it weirdness. Delicate keys combined with dark backgrounds make a leitmotif that comes and goes throughout the album. Also in the great "Laura" in which the band shows how fast they can be but also moody at the same time.

"The Last Place You Looked" offers a sudden change of mood. It starts with background keys that sound like raindrops on a window glass and with infecting with peace backgrounds. Louder sounds come back in "Left Unfinished" but only for a moment because the last two songs are nearly ambient peaceful guitar hum.

The band has its own unique style which makes the tracks coherent although created in different time periods. They match in an odd way because some force to dance while other almost lull you to sleep.

The album costs 7 USD.

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