Of The Galactic Grandeur
U.K. | Dream Pop/Indie
Dream Pop. Mmm… I could listen to it all day if I allowed myself to. I tend to always be on the prowl for things I’ve never heard before, whether they be veteran artists or newcomers. Cosmic Strip is one of those artists that just sort of fell into my lap and one that I will be watching closely as they release their first ever EP at the end of August!
INTRO/HISTORY/BACKGROUND
FACTS:
- Based in London and brand spankin’ new as far as I can tell
- They only have 3 songs out to date (as of 8/2/2018) with an EP to drop end of August
- A 5-piece band, complete with bass, guitars, synths and drums
It’s been one full year since Cosmic Strip released their first track Goodbye, a great first effort by a band trying to find their purpose through sound. Goodbye starts with a space-y synth that shoots the listener into an ethereal backdrop of delayed guitars and laid-back beats, all full of chill, all full of the cosmos, living up to their name. Lead singer Camella Agabalyan has an interesting voice, reminiscent to me of the early 90’s queens of rock. I think the strong suit regarding her voice is in it’s “impurities”, for lack of a better word. It’s not quite talking, but kind of spoken at times and then she just sort of just slides all over the notes, in a carefree way that not everyone can do with ease. They have a strength found within the layers they construct, laying synth above delayed guitar above drums that ride the ride (cymbal). It all just seems to fit and flow together ever so smoothly.
Echo Chamber, the second track they released, starts out stripped down, only to build to a steady, loud beat by the end of the song, with their drummer – Omar – beatin’ the mess out of his snare and cymbals, like… pretty madly. It’s a good sound engineering decision on their part as well since the drums really do the majority of driving within the track. It’s like Omar’s the bus driver and the rest of the band are passengers adding ambience to the scene. And that’s not a bad thing. They’re all a talented bunch who each play their own, distinct part in the sound.
Their latest single Heavenly, which was just released today actually, is their strongest track to date, in my humble opinion. It has elements that totally remind me of bands like DIIV and Japanese Breakfast, and yet you can almost simultaneously draw old school comparisons like the Cocteau Twins and others at the same time. Cool and collected, Heavenly gives you a gorgeous and literally – heavenly – instrumental bridge that’s to die for. Each instrument in this one seems to play off of the strength of the other, the bass to the drums, the guitar to the synths… all of it melding together to create a beautiful ambience that makes me want to hop into my car and take a drive back in time… all Back to the Future-style and stuff!
If the rest of their EP is anything like their single Heavenly, then they have one hell of a chance to create ripples in the dream pop, indie community that is vast and ever-growing. We can only wish them the best and will lend an ear when it’s time to check out the new tunes! Give them a listen… see what you think.
If you like…
Beach House, Fazerdaze, Tennis, DIIV
For more Cosmic Strip…
Sferikul 