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Mar 10, 2021 By Caleb Campbell

Cassadaga Florida’s Cathedral Bells is the latest new dream pop/shoegaze outfit from Matt Messore, an early member of You Blew It! and, more recently, the dream pop bands Dear Tracks and Houseplants. Messore’s latest project was initially conceived as a solo bedroom project but has since taken on new life as a full band, as Messore is joined by Aaron Gollubier on drums and Kyle Hoffer on bass/synths. Together the band created warm analog dream pop concoctions on their January debut, Ether. Now the band have returned with the video for one of the record’s highlights, the closing track, “Ghost Dream,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Ghost Dream” proves exactly how well the full band setup works for Cathedral Bells. Gollubier’s propulsive drumming cuts right through the hazy dreamscape of Messore’s jangly guitar tones and Hoffer’s lush synths. It’s a contrasting marriage of tones, but one that works brilliantly in context. The crisp drums fill out the song, giving Messore’s languid arrangement a revved-up energy without sacrificing the seductive dream pop allure of the song’s core. It makes for an undeniably potent combination. Meanwhile, the video plays into the same contrast. Summery skate-park footage is soaked in burning brilliant colors, washing the vintage footage in a warm dreamlike blur.

Director Troy Lustick says of the video, “When I first heard ‘Ghost Dream,’ I thought the energy of the song was undeniable. The main goal of the video, for me, became trying to match that energy using color, texture, and movement; And the end result is a David Lynch, Malcolm in the Middle fever dream.” Check out the video below and stream Ether, out now via Spirit Goth Records.