A new release from Surreal Sound Project recently dropped and this comes through as a very full-bodied, atmospheric, and expansive rock record that has the ability to dive in and out of different areas in rock subgenres but still manage to have everything feel very confluent and connective.
The Chasing Dawn album wastes no time grabbing your attention with intricate and inventive guitar work that includes not only a range of great refs and styles but also tones. The actual tonality of the guitar soundscape changes from song to song, helping give each track an individual personality in its own way.
I love how this record is bursting with electric energy, and it feels like some of these songs were just recorded live on the floor and everyone involved was just feeding off of each other's energies.
The cool thing about this is the simple fact that the project is actually a solo project and the brainchild of Diego Marchionni who has managed to bring on a series of collaborators throughout his set of musical relationships and this has proven to be a smart move as the record does feel a bit eclectic but really hard-hitting in the best ways possible.
I can't stress enough how diverse the record feels as certain tracks come through as indie rock bangers, garage rock and fuzz tone settings, dream and indie pop, and plenty more and it's all rolled into one fat record that is bursting with character the entire time.
It's not just about the guitar work. There is a lot happening with these songs and they each have their own set of textures and layers that shine with that same robust energy, but in different shapes.
One track may have great energy but not in the exact same way as the previous track did. They still connect with each other seamlessly.
You can hear some jazz influence in the undertones of some of these tracks at times, along with electronic influence. There is just a ton of this stuff happening so the whole record comes through with a very experimental feel.
I love hearing a record made with fewer boundaries than the norm because it's something I'm not used to so when I hear it it makes me feel refreshed after it's over.
This is 100% the kind of album that you need to listen to from beginning to end simply because if you listen to only one or two tracks then you won't even get the gist of what this album has to offer as a whole.
There are layers, surprises around the corners, a fluctuation of intensities and energies, outstanding guitar work and percussion throughout, and the whole thing has a particular sort of heart to it that makes it feel authentic in its own way.
We need more rock music like this. Rock that is not made to conform to a certain expectation that society may hold for music in general.
This is music made for the artist by the artist.
It's a passion project and that is an element that lets the entire presence of everything shine.
When you do listen to the whole record, you get a great sort of experience. It serves as a little bit of an escape in its own way, and I love this because it's not something you get often. Some of the songs are two or three-and-a-half-minute bangers while others can range up to seven minutes and jam out on experimental sections that let you get engulfed in the music.
This was a killer record that has a way of wrapping itself around you and keeping you right where it wants to.
The vocal approach is brilliant simply because they have this sort of indie feel but also beckons classic rock influences and garage-toned approaches, and this fits the music, the guitar tones, the drumming, and everything perfectly.
I feel like the vocals on this record helped push it to where it needed to be.
I had a ton of fun with this record and if you're someone that really loves garage or indie rock, you'll fall in love with this entire thing.
I can't express to you enough again how you should be listening to the record as a whole, so you get the full experience. You should also probably be doing this with headphones on so you can soak in all the layers that are happening in some of the atmospheres of the tracks as well.
These guys managed to combine a vintage feel and tonality with a current one and it works brilliantly.
Don't just take my word for it, have a good listen to this record and remember where you heard it first.
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