Summer is slowly clawing away at us with its parched talons, and there is little else besides shade and a cool drink to stave off that heat. Well, one of those other things is this cool and refreshing song. ‘What song?‘, you may be tempted to ask. Well, it’s the second single off of an upcoming album, and we are premiering it right now, right here.
The band in question is Dead Sun, a young group hailing from Chicago, Illinois. While they don’t have much to show for in terms of repertoire size (yet), they make up for that with their interesting take on what seems to be a blend of gazey influences. A little over a month from now they will be debuting their first full-length record. Said album is ambiguously titled A/B, and it is a rather compelling journey.
I’d love to talk about the record a bit more, but that’s a surprise for each and every one of you to unveil once it’s officially out. Today, I’ll be offering my impressions of “Opiate Dream”, which (again) is the second single off of A/B. In short, the song does its title justice. Alright, but seriously now, it’s quite a ride. It starts out with some truly mellow timbres and soft arrangements, lulling the listener into both a false sense of security and a contemplative state.
Alright, enough with the words (for now). You can listen to the song below:
As we advance through “Opiate Dream”, a rhythm starts to take contour, constructing a frame of reference around us and lifting that odd sense of drifting from the beginning. The droned-out vibe and ethereal atmosphere are only being further fleshed out as the volume slowly rises. Then, suddenly, there’s a loud pop of energy, which is drowned as swiftly as it began, letting the flow return to its previous incipient state. The rest of the song continues to expand on this somewhat oneiric feeling, throwing in another pop right at the end for good measure.
I’m not sure how to feel about the production of it, since it is a rather unusual pack of choices for what it is. There’s a sense of distance between me and where the song is at, which I’m not exactly sure how to exemplify. It also feels like the drums are protruding more than what I’d expect, whereas the rest of the layers are slightly recessed. It’s a neat song and it sounds great; I simply want to highlight that there’s a certain unusual character to the song itself, which is represented in the way it is packaged as well.
A/B comes out on 8/21/20.
All profits from this record will be donated evenly between the NAACP and the Chicago Community Bond Fund.
Make sure to follow the band on Facebook and Bandcamp, and you can preorder the album here!
