A Shoreline Dream – Loveblind

By RingMaster Review on October 21, 2022 • ( 1 )

An emotionally and atmospherically haunting examination, Loveblind is the new album from Denver band A SHORELINE DREAM. With an almost smog like claustrophobic breath and senses trespassing radiance that shows no restraint in intensity throughout, the release is a fascinating proposal proving the source of rich captivation.

Formed in 2005, A SHORELINE DREAM is a project which revolves around the core of founding members, multi-instrumentalist / vocalist Ryan Policky and guitarist Erik Jeffries, the new album seeing the former predominantly writing and performing across its tracks with the duo casting their united prowess within its two instrumentals. Numerous releases across the years have drawn eager attention and praise the way of the band with their fifth full-length, last year’s Melting, especially acclaimed. Even so, we suggest it is now in the shadows of Loveblind, a record finding the project weaving its finest individual realm of post punk, dark/gothic rock and progressively cast shoegaze.

An contemplative exploration of an ascent through hope and desire and the fall across reality and its ever encroaching shadows; in the words of the band, “an introspective view of things building all the way up, then crashing back down – like relationships that try to rekindle, only to find that the original reason for the failure has grown even stronger”, Loveblind is a dark and brooding affair yet within a light of virulence and sonic intimation which, as we suggested, made for the richest captivation.

The release opens with Alarms Stop Ringing, its rhythmic energy immediately drawing organic instincts before the post punk kilned bass adds equally magnetic tempting. As swiftly, guitar and keys swarm around ears, their atmospheric cloud swamping and enlivening the senses and Policky’s compelling tones and thoughts. The track sets the tone and landscape for things to come, its tapestry of sound enthrallingly varied as it aligns emotive and spiritual warmth and icy actuality.

It is a potent example of the array of soundscapes and experiences ventured across the record with each track finding and casting individual dilemma and revelation, the following Driveaway evolving from a tranquil if umbra courting psych rock shimmered saunter to a clamorous discordance to immediately confirm the myriad of creative landscapes found within the release. Fair to say that the ghostly instrumental easily ignited the imagination, its lively awakening soon involved in the crepuscular realms of The Spring Comes Clean. Light and dark again revolve around each other as otherworldly vocals and thoughts consider, an underlying tempestuous to the noise bearing beauty rising like a rapacious fire throughout.

The band’s new single, Harlow Syndrome, surges forth next, the track a psych punk bred incitement with feral shoegaze fuzziness to its touch while Nothing More Than This almost taunts the senses with its senses preying catchiness. The first is another mesmeric moment within the album, offering tenebrific seduction and predacious unrest with its successor a track which, with rock ‘n’ roll inclinations, soon reveals a haze of trespass and emotional disturbance around post punk cast contagion; the song swiftly placing one hand on favourite track nomination.

Loveblind, the album’s title track brings a relaxing calm next if simultaneously sharing the shadows of uncertainty, As Policky’s tones, it weaves a climate of warmth and anxiety, offering a hug with the reality of lurking shadows in that same reassurance before Hazewash springs into view with a lively gait and tumult flirting atmosphere. It is another instrumental which had the imagination weaving and body entangled in its animated shuffle, the outstanding track a punk lined slice of psych filtered rock ‘n’ roll declaring itself as another of our especial moments within Loveblind alongside Mariupol with its myriad of implications and veils across emotive musing; a track we just floated across with the irresistible tenebrific company of the inky bass.

Continually the album’s broad tapestry of sound and imagination proved a fascinating hold, the almost disorientating electronic sea of the tumult carrying Black Dye and the outstanding Cutline Follow with its hypnotic verging on menacing melodic glamour soon adding to that captivation and adventure.

The release concludes with The Grind and its ethereal but overcast web of implication and encouragement, a song bound in the cold of lost hope and encroaching shadows with a hand of support found in its thoughts.

It is an absorbing end to one transfixing and striking release. Even in its darkened realms, Loveblind proved an inspiriting companion and pleasure to quite simply share the most compelling experience with A SHORELINE DREAM.

Loveblind is out now via Latenight Weeknight Records; available @ https://ashorelinedream.bandcamp.com/album/loveblind