Written By: Chris Parsons
Olso, Noway’s Dråpe (pronounced: “Draw-peh”) is a brightly psychedelic, up-and-coming quintet working largely in the vein of dreamesque pop and shoegaze. Since the turn of the new year, the group has already released two singles, “Blue Skies b/w Wash Away” (Jan ’13) and “Memories b/w When It’s Cold Outside” (March ’13), in anticipation of their forthcoming debut LP, Canicular Days, to follow up 2011’s early, self-titled extended play. From the tracks’ titles it seems Dråpe is battling a case of spring fever, dreaming of the summer sun that inspires their sound as they wait for the winter to wane and snow to wash away, pining for the beautifully inspiring nature of Norwegian landscape to flourish. The dreamy and full wash of sound that Dråpe sculpts is warm and fuzzy with colorful tones, definitely serving as a vehicle for summer vibrations.
“Memories” opens with a curiously bright, yet dissonant, earworm on guitar that builds into an easy groove with throbbing bass and steady, upbeat drums. This song seems bright, yet somber– sunny, but nostalgic– but the good vibes prevail, clearly taking the cake as the instrumentals’ jamming chemistry will have anyone’s feet itching to dance. The female vocals certainly lend additional warmth to Dråpe‘s sound, at times reminiscent of Phantogram‘s Sarah Barthel. The lyrics are at the heart of the nostalgic memory, but the way the vocal harmonies blend into the rich sound makes for a sweet symphony of psychedelic pop.
While Dråpe recorded “Memories” at Greener Productions in Trondheim, NO, the short and and more ambient B-side, “When It’s Cold Outside,” is a simple 4-track recording, this time featuring a downtempo ballad and soaring, yet soft, male vocals. The drawn out melody, in both the instrumentals and vocals, ebbs into a beautiful and gripping structure, evoking a similar sound to their arctic neighbors, Sigur Rós. Dråpe are sure dropping a lot of cool hints about this debut record as well as appearances at upcoming festivals as the warm air of spring begins to settle in, while we’re left to cope with this hankering for summer sun! Canicular Days is due out April 19 and will be released both digitally and on 12″ vinyl via Norwegian label Riot Factory and further distributed internationally by EMI Music.
TPR-Mag.com 