SoloS
SoloS RELEASES BEGUILING SELF-TITLED EP
Experimental pop duo SoloS release a new self-titled EP, via Dowd Records.
SoloS
Made up of singer-songwriter Aaron Ross and multi-instrumentalist Spencer Seim (Hella, The Advantage, Byre), who became friends in the late ‘90s, the pair initially got together musically when Aaron played with Spencer’s band Hella on their album, There’s No 666 in Outer Space, released in 2007. Since then, they’ve carried on playing together as SoloS.
SoloS released their debut album, entitled Beast of Both Worlds, in 2012. Immediately after releasing the album, they entered the studio once again, where they laid down tracks for a 6-song “demo.” While in the studio, they gave themselves free rein, proceeding without any conceptual plan. Each track was recorded live with Aaron on keyboards and Spencer on the drums. After the recording, Jeff Schmidt entered to inject the tracks with guitar and baritone.
What’s unique about the six songs is unusual time changes and atypical sonic textures, resulting in unanticipated and beguiling soundscapes. Compared to their first album, Beast of Both Worlds, which was rougher and grungier, the new EP embraces silky melodicism, presenting a totally different side of the duo’s creativity.
Eerie, strident vocals and sonic accents infuse the music with edgy lustrous hues.
Shortly after the “demo” recording was finished, the band took a break, and the recording was never released. Years later, the songs were excavated from the archives and ‘rediscovered.’ Dowd Record decided to release the songs.
The EP begins with “The Distance Between Us,” opening on gleaming synths riding a muscular slanting rhythm. Stylish, dreamy vocals infuse the tune with flavors vaguely reminiscent of Supertramp merged with Howard Jones. Softly radiant harmonies imbue the tune with graceful timbres and gliding layers of color.
Entry points include “Chains of The Heart,” a trippy, psychedelic-flavored tune with oscillating, kaleidoscopic synths and crunching drums. Eerie, strident vocals and sonic accents infuse the music with edgy lustrous hues.
“Worlds Collide” travels on a futuristic intro segueing to glistening new wave washes of coloration fused with industrial/spacy synths. The final track, “Painted Veil” blends baroque tones with new wave savors and hints of alt-rock.
SoloS blend tantalizing art-pop energy with new wave dynamics atop innovative rhythms, as deluxe evocative vocals glide overhead.
