So Much Noise Between Us
“I was standing on the corner for a car that never came”
Last month I wrote about Caveman and mentioned how the first time I saw them live was at SXSW in 2013. That particular showcase was so much fun, and I got to see some great bands at one of my favorite (former) venues in Austin. As you can see from the below Showcase poster, I had good reason to stick around that day. That and it was sponsored by a well-known whiskey that was providing free drinks throughout the day…
Despite the free libations and solid lineup, the crowd was surprisingly smaller than expected so alternating stages to catch as much tuneage as I could was almost too easy. One of the more surprising acts I caught that day was a group I was not yet familiar with, Braids. Primarily playing tracks from their 2011 debut album Native Speaker, the music was intriguingly ethereal and their live performance was mesmerizing!
A few months later Braids released Flourish // Perish, a much more polished and mature sophomore record. 2015’s Deep In The Iris and 2016’s Companion EP, that featured songs scrapped from Iris, continued this trajectory. These were the last we’d hear from Braids, until late in 2019 when they dropped the beautiful “Eclipse (Ashley)“.
New tunes featuring upbeat layers of dreamy and lush synth continued to drop through 2020, along with the promise of a new album. Shadow Offering was announced, but the release was pushed back to June 19th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, that’s today!
Shadow Offering‘s giddy and bouncy synth-driven beats accompany Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s beautiful voice. At times she reminds me of Jenny Lewis, but with a much more unique singing style. She brings an added artistic feeling to their music. Don’t label them as “just another synth-pop band”, though. There are so many layers to their songs, as you’ll find in their lyrics and social commentary.
The 9+ minute “Snow Angel“ starts off as a synth-heavy pop jam that hooks you in and takes a sharp turn into powerful statements of self-reflection. From global warming, racism, not doing enough, not prioritizing correctly, all the way to questions like “I wanna be a mother, but should I bring in another?“
Their latest single, “Just Let Me“ is gorgeous, chill, and one of my favorite tracks from 2020. Standell-Preston’s gorgeous voice and the intertwining of what feels like 2 or 3 different songs take my mind to beautiful and nostalgic places.
Shadow Offering dropped today through Secret City Records. It might have been 5 years since Braids released a proper album, but I can confirm the wait was worth it!
Tune in, Tune out,
-Josh
Their latest single, and my favorite track from Shadow Offering, the gorgeous “Just Let Me“
Music video for Shadow Offering’s lead single, “Young Buck“
“Taste“ (live) from 2015’s Deep In The Iris
Bonus Track - The powerful “Snow Angel“ starts off sweet and poppy, but evolves into the kind of social commentary we all need to pay attention to
