After being in multiple well-known bands in the Napa Valley region of California, singer/songwriter Brandon Kerrigan’s latest endeavor is his “new shimmering garage fantasy” called Moss. This project is a combination of ‘90s indie rock with early 2000s psych pop. His project’s first release We Don’t Get Even, We Get Mad was recorded in Moss’s studio using the latest version of Garageband and it mixes fantastic sounds of low-fi and the well-known “wall of sound” made famous by ‘60s producing guru Phil Spector.
The conceptual theme of the album Kerrigan describes as, “what it means to be angry and how a passionate release of emotions can be healthy even if it is inherently selfish.” He writes about relationships, careers and life decisions and instead of looking for meaning outside yourself, he focuses inward to keep his emotions and headspace in check. The instrumental elements play on these themes between the light and dark, heavy and soft. Kerrigan hopes listeners will resonate with his struggles of melancholy but also, his desire at being determined and self-sustaining. The opener “Mad” taps into Moss’ style of psych-pop and dream-pop melodies. The echoing guitar and vocals take center stage as drums drop in a bit later and a faster tempo picks things up midway. I thought the transitions of styles mesh together quite well. “Wounds” features a guitar with a harsher, tinnier sound and vocals that are up front and easier to distinguish what’s being sung. The style here was more in the vein of atmospheric pop or shoe gaze with ‘90s slacker alternative. The additional keyboards added extra finesse and the ending was fantastic as it bleeds into “Vacation.” This song’s strong points were its arrangement and how Moss wrote each instrumental part. Each instrument complements the other, but at the same time each seems to stand on its own. I thought this one had a very unique sound and one of Moss’ best. “Strawberries” features some creepy sounding effects and then transitions into superbly executed styles of ‘60s psych and dark gothic dreaminess. This one easily became a favorite. The longest on the EP was “Paths” – a nicely muddied-up, ‘90s alternative pop trance featuring a strong rhythm guitar and additional keyboard effects and instruments. Parts of it reminded me of The Cure. “Guidelines” finishes the EP with a stripped-down sound of vocal, guitar and backing keyboards tones. Moss adds an additional vocal that sounds menacing and sinister. He also adds horns and some stronger keys later on. I thought this one was Moss’ most dynamic and daring. Moss’ debut taps into some truly fantastic psych, dream pop and goth vibes. In my opinion, We Don’t Get Even, We Get Mad really needs more than just one listen – there’s so much imaginative output going on here. I’m looking forward to hearing more of Moss’ brand of low-fi, “wall of sound” surrealism.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
April 2024
|