In the moments where I can bear to be introspective after what has now been a full year of quarantine (we’ve all been talking about this, haven’t we?), I seek music that holds a mirror up to our collective consciousness. Echodrone’s upcoming release, which we are premiering today, reflects back on our times through the same glazed-over lens with which many of us have come to view reality. It’s what the group choose to focus on that make this album such a triumph — in listening to new LP Resurgence, the listener encounters a rare emphasis on discovering and embracing happiness, even amidst a global pandemic.
This will be the eighth in a long line of Echodrone releases dating back to 2007. The group, originally based in San Francisco but having been scattered across the United States since 2009, were uniquely poised to deliver an album that captured both the ambiguity of the pandemic and the moments of jubilance that propel us forward. Resurgence drops Friday, March 5 via Dome A Records, but you can stream it right now:
Resurgence is impressively diverse in sound across tracks, especially for a -gaze record. Album opener “Midnight Frost” is mellow and sweet, while follow-up track “Jaded” and near-closer “My Life” are upbeat and bouncy. Tracks such as “Grain of Salt” and “Diamond Needle” are ponderous and contemplative by comparison, but melodious synths and lovely vocal harmonies still evoke a subtly bright, uplifting mood. The album is more than a collection of happy jingles, though; its dreamy, gazey textures mimic the opaque fuzziness of pandemic life, and its geographically dispersed recording history is emblematic of an unforgettable time in human history where close collaboration persists through the magic of screens.
With this upcoming release, Echodrone explore a side of the public mood that is only becoming more apparent as temperatures rise, vaccinations become more available, and hope for a vibrant summer of 2021 begins to blossom. Resurgence is not just a pleasant dreamgaze record destined for long road trip playlists. The undeniable joy of the record speaks straight to my heart, and reminds me of the importance of treasuring those small, yet significant bits of happiness that punctuate daily life even in the darkest of times.
To rediscover life’s pleasures, give Echodrone a like on Facebook, a follow on Instagram, and perhaps another follow on Twitter. You can stream their music on Bandcamp, and there’s still time to preorder Resurgence on the band’s website before it drops March 5.
