Nuanced, angsty dreampop.

This album opens with a droning synthy spread placed over a methodically drum beat reminiscent of Neu! krautrock. Even more in the way of Neu!, the opener, “Roswell‰” even includes a long melodic water synth solo that adds a sentiment of melancholy to the track. The next two tracks “Secret Life‰” and “Impossible‰” have the straight ahead march tempo of a Beach House song but with added instrumental complexity. “Impossible‰” features strange sounding vocal harmonies between the two members that show of the incredible ability of singer, Maddy Wilde. The track sounds like a lost track from Tears for Fears‰’ The Hurting reframed in a modern lense, employing a wall of shoegaze noise. “Come Back‰” sounds like an alternation of sadness and a profound anger. The vocals on “Hexe‰” are as if Smashing Pumpkins and Matt and Kim had a hybrid sound. There‰’s a certain peppiness taking precedent over concealed angst represented by the vocal style and the fuzzy distortion on the synth and the guitar. The sixth track, “Threads‰” has a dreamwave synth and vocal part that is juxtaposed over a soul/funk beat. With its Dinosaur Jr. guitar part and and mindless percussion clicks under sour vocals, the listener only has time to realize that “Apocalypse‰” it is getting faster before the bass drop and the song jolts into an electro-noise rock frenzy. 

In a lot of ways, I can sit here and make minute comparisons about individual aspects of sounds on Secret Life but the reality is, there‰’s nothing you can say they strongly are analogous to. Nevertheless, inexplicably, the tracks on Secret Life have cohesion and each song seems to compliment something another might‰’ve brought up. Maybe it‰’s the distinct vocals, the open ringing guitar, or the white noise-esque pervasive synth. The last two songs of the albums still yet bring the train of ideas on the album to new heights. Even the last song “Medicine‰” seems to me to be a weird fit, lacking some resolution or contemplation. Its an oddly non-melodic tune that carries a more stripped sound than the other tracks. 

Recommended Tracks: 1,3,6,7

RIYL: Beach House, Neu!, Doldrums