• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

May 11, 2017 Issue #60 - Father John Misty By Marty Hill

Amelia Murray is exactly what bedroom pop has been crying out for. Too often, records of this ilk-centered around fleeting shoegaze guitar lines and hushed musings on seclusion-have little to offer beyond invitingly human aesthetics. Seemingly, not hers. On her first full-length record under the Fazerdaze moniker, she crafts some of the most complete and worthwhile dream pop in recent memory. Morningside is near-overflowing with youthful brightness and new ideas; it’s totally refreshing.

“You know I’m shit at having friends/I’m sorry I can only do my best” Murray croons before launching into the blistering chorus that punctuates “Friends.” Elsewhere, the loud-quiet dynamic is eschewed for Beach House-esque lucidity; closer “Bedroom Talks” smartly stitches summer ambience with impossibly immersive composition. This is a record as capable of sedating as it is of startling. If it wasn’t for Murray’s knack of effortlessly projecting warmth, listening to Morningside would feel almost invasive-there’s a sincere depth to the songwriting throughout.

Much akin to the way that fellow New Zealand native Ruban Nielson (of Unknown Mortal Orchestra) works, you get the sense that every moment of music produced by Murray is the product of intense emotional and technical labor in equal parts. Better than that, the Auckland musician makes the vehement sound effortless. It’s hard not to be excited about this project. (www.fazerdaze.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10