Pitch Perfect
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

dear amber - shine EP

7/16/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
Dear Amber

Shine
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Carly Bush
Dreamlike ambience perfect for summer afternoons and introspective star-gazing nights, the delicate and ethereal music of Dear Amber was crafted entirely in a personal bedroom studio, beginning in late 2011. The project began and still resides in Ballwin, Missouri. Intensely sentimental and surreal, on his new EP entitled Shine the music flows straight through you from the moment you hit play and leaves a lasting impression. Amidst a lot of ambient musicians that strive to paint with their creativity and technological devices such deeply atmospheric, moody soundscapes, Dear Amber is arguably one of the few who succeeds soaringly at it. Similarities to Adam Young's ambient side project Port Blue will inevitably be noted immediately, particularly on the track "Oceanic Ballroom," which illustrates such vivid images of walking along a beach, listening to the crashing yet soothing waves, that it may be the musical equivalent of holding a conch shell to your ear. There are even various true-to-life ambient noises recorded that made it onto the album, and on this track, this includes the cries of gulls. The mood is set, and the music subtly pushes it higher, allowing your imagination to take wing.

Strangely, Dear Amber's inspiration is said to derive more from realism than surrealism, but I suppose this almost makes sense. Long, immersive nature walks, as well as the bustle and chaos of city life, all imbedded themselves within the band's consciousness and served to create a palate of influence that ultimately weaved its way into tracks like "Back in the Day." The sense one receives from this record is one of juxtaposed truth and fiction. "Sunset's Odyssey" flies so freely away from anything concrete that it sounds like the daydreams one might have while struggling to remain grounded, given a musical form. But the brief glimpses of very honest reality thrown in, such as the opening and closing of a bedroom door to signify the beginning and end of a track, bring you back to earth.

There is always an extremely light, elevated feeling, as though you are listening to music inviting you to reach beyond your limits and lose yourself amidst the clouds. The only moment on the EP that treads darker waters is the title track, which is rather unexpectedly heavy and calls to mind images of grey rainstorms or trudging through an autumnal cityscape rather than summer sunshine and cloudless skies. It is, in a sense, the perfect comedown from the euphoric high that the rest of this dizzyingly beautiful collection of songs provides.
Become A Fan
soundcloud
1 Comment
Mike Lucas
7/16/2013 04:40:22 am

Diggin these tunres

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure. We feature a wide variety of genres like americana, electronic, pop, rock, shoegaze, ambient, and much more.

    Massive thanks to @pitchperfect158 for the expertly written review of our tune, Chapter 1, from the Tangents EP . Check it out here. ❤️https://t.co/TIDRHi9vyB

    — AuldWhiteLabel (@AuldWhiteLabel) February 1, 2025

    For those of you craving some real music journalism to cut through the tide of AI generated nonsense we seem to be drowning in check out this from Matt Jensen at @pitchperfect158 https://t.co/9Kf8GMgnvM

    — Garfield Mayor (@garfieldmayor) January 31, 2025
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter

PR Services

PR Services
© Pitch Perfect 2025. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact