Slowdive is on our minds and in our ears for very good reasons. If this is you, then you will want to listen to Slow Salvation‘s debut LP Here We Lie. Not only is the influence unabashedly strong, but Simon Scott of Slowdive mastered the album. Here We Lie was recently released (August 25) through Jeff Cloud’s Velvet Blue Music.
“He was really fond of their sounds,” Jeff Cloud shared with Puddlegum concerning Scott’s mastering. His touch on the album brings a lot of depth, both in equalization and in depth you find from analog gear such as the LA2A. The brights are not overly shimmery, and the low end is not overpowering. It has a nice warmth and the band’s reverb layers blend so well.
Slow Salvation is the dream pop duo between Travis Trevisan and Christina Hernandez. You may know Travis from Tape Deck Mountain, and Christina from Orion Lake. The story is that Travis heard Christina’s project and he sent her a demo of Here We Lie (the track), with her vocals in mind. Christina was already a fan of his work with TDM. They brought in Dylan Mandel (TDM) on drums, and his light and steady percussion sets the perfect slowcore one throughout the album.
Hauntingly emotive
Every instrument on this album has a touch of reverb of varying depths, yet the mix doesn’t get lost in the space. A slow melodic guitar sits close on the left, while drenched notes fill the right. At These notes sound like they incorporate an eBow (correct me if I’m wrong), and come on the hard right and center; at times they give way to distorted guitar tones. They set a hauntingly emotive mood on the album. There are subtle delayed melodic notes (or possibly doubled) that set them closer to the listener.
Christina’s vocals sit perfectly in the space carved out for them, as she draws out her words. Her vocals are slightly airy at times, and the multiple vocal takes are blended into one with perfection. The bass guitar is distinct in its central placement, but it doesn’t overpower the low end or mask the mids.
Here We Lie is a standout debut, and we hope to hear more. This is one I could listen to on repeat without second thoughts. Please take the time and put this on; you’ll be glad you did.
