Giant Day: Glass Narcissus

BEST OF 2024
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HCTF

Psychedelic pop duo Giant Day consists of two veterans from the indie underground scene. Multi-instrumentalist Derek Almstead (The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, The Glands, of Montreal) and singer Emily Growden (Faster Circuits, Marshmallow Coast) cut their teeth in Athens, GA and took their Krautrock meets adventurous dream pop and post-punk with them when they set up shop in a shop in a farm in Pennsylvania. Their debut full-length Glass Narcissus is a summation of a couple decades worth lessons they have learned along the way.

It is a record for listeners who are willing to go in at the deep end to explore inner turmoil, pet peeves and serious concerns, wrapped in subdued yet danceable music. Darkness beckons, but there is also a glimmer of light offering a chance to see if some of the fears are real or imagined. Jangling, slightly distorted guitars and tinkling synths are the foundation for soft-spoken vocals deserving undivided attention.

Dusty Stray: Fire Place

photo: Auke Vleer

There are countless songs about heartbreak, so it is quite a challenge to come up with something memorable. Alt-folk artist Jonathan Brown is one of those rare artists who have found new ways to write about it. On Fire Place, the latest album by his Dusty Stray project, he goes through all the stages of grief, realizing that his love is not that Special and that he does not want to be with her Anymore, but also compiling Lists with the things he liked about her. She started drifting away and he is left to his own devices, collecting his thoughts staring at the Fire Place - the heat offers a bit of comfort. And while he sure as Hell wants to be Loved again and getting into a fulfilling relationship again, he is not that desperate that will try anything. After all, Happiness Strikes when you are not expecting it.

Brown's superb way with words are emboldened by a subtle, mostly acoustic band. Five years have gone by since the release of his previous album Estranged - which also was about the matters of the heart. With Fire Place he tapped into the same source, but now that he is getting older he looks to future with a bit more confidence as he has realized that being with someone might not be the be-all and end-all for him, at least for now.

The Fierce & The Dead: Winter's End Festival headliners

English prog experimentalists The Fierce & The Dead will be headlining the 2024 edition of Winter's End Festival in Chepstow on April 12 as part of their shows to promote the release of their latest album News From The Invisible World: "a brave record, bringing their vulnerability that was always there into the spotlights (...) At this stage of their career, they can do no wrong. Upward and onward".

They will announce two more shows shortly, after which they will head to the studio to record their fifth studio album.