Enveloping with its moody, atmospheric rock builds, Twilight & Resonance is the impactful new album from Blackout Transmission. The New Mexico-based band draws upon post-punk and shoegaze inspirations, in addition to a recent embrace of the Mountain West’s high desert landscape, a departure from their previous city-set Los Angeles living. The album proves riveting throughout, and is also available as a dark purple vinyl edition, featuring design and layout work by Jeff Holmes and original artwork by Jonathan Keeton.
Album opener “La Tierra Drift” rides on a warming mixture of twangy guitars and caressing synths, bolstered by hazy, steady vocal precision — altogether reminding fondly of Spiritualized in aesthetic, especially as the more vibrant guitar distortion flashes in the closing sequence. The ensuing “Ultra Azul” is another gorgeous piece of songwriting, “Find the calming waters, wade into their offers,” the vocals let out amidst shimmering guitar jangles, arriving thereafter into lingering guitar intrigue — which combined with post-punk rhythmic nostalgia reminds enjoyably of Chameleons UK and The Church.
A range of invigorating distortion and vibe-y jangling also takes hold on “Beyond The Sight Lines (Nubes Oscuras),” stirring especially in its magnetic “we endeavor for stillness” refrain and ensuing “we are woven” artfulness, where spacious guitar trickling and climactic percussion drive into scenic lyrical enthrallment: “Dark clouds congregate / Around mountains to relay.” Twilight & Resonance consistently enthralls in its atmospheric, melodically unfolding productions — seamlessly melding post-punk, shoegaze, and psychedelia.
—
“Ultra Azul” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
