total wife - come back down
Julia’s War Recordings
Nashville's Total Wife release their latest album via Julia's War. As far as I'm aware, it's my introduction to the band. come back down was "born from the edge of sleep" according to their press release. On the precipice of entering another conscious state the world is of an illusory, lucid quality. It exists in the physical realm, but melts away into the ethereal as you drift off.
“I’m a psychological mixer — I’m trying to think of how someone’s experiencing the sound, versus getting stuck in trying to make all these different tones and using all this gear to make something sound a certain way,” says Lua Kupper.
The experimental pop-duo consisting of Lua Kupper and Ash Richter are proficient in warm, fuzzy phonics. The shimmering-though-erring-on-the-side-of paint-stripping, teeth-curling and time-splitting sucking-themselves-up-hoover-tronic sounds of the more ferocious side of Shoegaze a la My Bloody Valentine(who else) make their hoover-y heads known on tracks like the aforementioned "Second Spring", "Still Asleep" and "Make It Last" and are also sprinkled heavily throughout.
Come Back Down is slow to start. With "In My Head" ghostly vocals saunter over steady-yet-slowly-blooming-rhythms. "Taking my time to get to the point." It's all of a very Slowcore essence. Said rhythms become more certain of their being as time drifts on by. A flower unfurling into its own flourish.
The fuzzy haze of "Peaches" is home to a swirling chirp. Brain-scratchy distortion; instruments with sore throats.
The essence of Oneohtrix Point Never can be found on "internetsupermagazine". The head-nodding, neck-breaking jitters of sleep-awaits-around-the-corner-time crank up their pull. Said neck-breaking jitters translate well into next track "Naoisa".
"Chloe" opens up with sonic hell, only to make way for a Baggy, tambourine groove. The life-lived-in-reverse sounds which dominate the background harbour this hazey, crystalline brain fog quality. The worlds best-worst case of ethereal haze. The moment collapsing in on itself. Time squashed under its own weight.
Trying to catch your breath and choking on the inhale is the best way to describe the aural sensation of the album's lead single "Second Spring". Knowing it's going to happen, but also having the patience to see it through. Patience is the glue that sees energy through to it's pre-destined form; the slow rush which edges things nearer. The work has to be put in, of course, but knowing it's yours softens the setbacks and blows along the path.
Photo credit: Sean Booz
Apparently there are samples of an unreleased cover of Elliott Smith's 'Between The Bars' all over the album. I'm not entirely sure where it all occurs, but one guess is the end of "Still Asleep". A drop of Midwest Emo's reminiscent air comes through in the chorus of "Still Asleep". It's my favourite feature on the entire album. Out of the haze and back into the haze we go; respite for the senses before the incoming onslaught.
Shoegaze slides into the hypnagogic state in the hands of Total Wife. A dreamy state is never too far from grip. A lovely use of electronics sizzles the sound palette amidst the already crazy mix of sounds and styles/genre - drum and bass, shoegaze, hypnagogic pop, baggy, trip-hop, industrial, the list goes on.
"Ofersi3" sees the drum-and-bass electronics swapped out for something of a Gabber complexion. Balls to the wall and no room for a breather. Gabber gives way to dripping synths like metal melting in shiny drip-drip-drips.
Closing track "Make It Last" has this Candy Claws, overly cheerful energy to it. The last hurdle has been swiftly leaped over.
Total Wife cast a wide net with come back down. It's a net which manages to catch quite a lot, and do it a lot of justice in the process.
