Andy Jossi is
a master at creating musical drama. His
long slow-building dreamy epics from his work with the churchhill garden put him at the forefront of “shoegaze,” and
more recently, his instrumentation for the
blue herons with more concise pop structures we find him still creating
intense swells of sound. His guitars jangle
and chime in a similar timeless fashion as 80s Church (“Almost with You”), but no one has done the explosive
swells of noise in the way that he does - at least not since the massive spectacular crescendos that Kitchens of Distinction used to employ.
With “Wllow,” the blue herons’ latest
single, we find Jossi appropriately settling into a more wistful almost melancholy
sound. Gretchen DeVault’s pleasant voice floats in atop the chiming guitars and mid-range bass with words that describe a lovely dream world of connecting
with another. That charge of new romance
where that high is all that matters and the rest of the world drifts away. It’s
a place that we all wish for yet seems impossible to maintain. Perhaps that’s why the escapist lyrics (“Nobody can find us here/ We’re beyond the
outer limits / Lost in vivid dreaming / And we’re gone”) feel melancholic
to me. As if there’s a longing sadness – a yearning for these feelings while trying to navigate an especially difficult
time.
Whatever the case, when DeVault sings
the chorus (“When you’re touching my hand
/ I lose all sense of space/ I’m in
another world / Lost without a trace) I’m pretty sure that she is one of
the best at phrasing any set of words into a compelling vocal melody. I was a fan of both of these artist’s work
before they began working together, but I never could have imagined that this
work could be this consistently excellent! This song puts me
into another world where all good things exist, and to be honest, I want to be there right now in the most intense way.
The lyrics themselves may be the best descriptive of how this song can
make you feel while listening (“I float
outside of time / I’m in another world”).
The anticipation of the upcoming
April 3rd release of their new album Demon Slayer is immense. Please
consider pre-ordering the album as soon as possible. It’s going to be worth it. This kind of artistry and quality is rare.
Every so often an album comes along that infuses me
with a new charge of energy. I’ll never
forget the thrill I felt the first time I heard The Primitives “Crash”
while in High School. It’s been a love
affair with indie pop ever since! That
vivacious burst of fresh air made me feel inspired and alive and a major reason
I became a music junkie. I’ve written
before about how Swedish indie-pop band Popsicle turned my attitude from
lethargic and hopeless to excited and optimistic with their stellar debut album
Lacquer (see write up here).
In 2005, I recall being struck like lightning by Maxïmo Park and their frenetic jolt of an album A
Certain Trigger. Then there was that
Halloween when I saw The Pipettes doo wop their way a Capella style at
an in-store performance at the record store Music Millennium, which led
me to buy their CD on the spot and follow them to Wonder Ballroom for
their concert later that evening in 2007.
That CD did not leave my car player for months, and only left when thieves
busted my car window and stole my stereo with the CD inside. By the way Gwenno, my marriage
proposal still stands. Man, did that
whoosh of music carry me on a tidal wave of good vibes! Don’t get me wrong, every time I hear a new
song that appeals to me I get a shot of adrenalin and probably all kinds of
narcotic endorphins. I guess that’s why,
despite having more great music I love than I can ever re-listen to again, I
still hungrily search out new music, or new to me music.
Even though, I do not speak Spanish, I
have found myself in love with many musical acts from Spain in recent
years. In 2016, Linda Guilala
released a massive twenty song opus namedPsiconáutica, which definitely set my imagination ablaze! This was delivered via the long-time and most
excellent Spanish indie label Elefant Records, whom I first learned
about via Camera Obscura. Elefant
Records has introduced me to numerous pop bands since the turn of the century
and is unsurprisingly now the home of the afore-mentioned Primitives. Most recently, Elefant has introduced me to
this spitfire of a foursome from Valencia: LISASINSON.
This is LISASINSON’s third album since 2020, so I am
late to the game and have some catching up to do. I was first introduced to them via their
defiant sounding 2023 single “Chuchillos,” which is absolutely a stunner. I’m not sure how I let their second LP get by
me at that point. Though that single led
me to tracking down the string of incredible digital singles over the past year
or so leading up to this new album: Desde
Cuándo Todo. I’ll be honest, despite
growing up with German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk as part of my
young childhood soundtrack, vocals in a different language have often been a
barrier for me. However, with
LISASINSON, I am finding that not knowing the language has freed me up to
really let go and enjoy the music and not get so hung up on the words and their
meaning. Or, likely more accurately, I’m
talking out of my ass, and their music is simply so infectious that I cannot
resist it.
The album opens with the mid-tempo builder “Salgo A La Calle,” which bounces
along a buoyant clean bass-line and explodes with color and intensity as the
chorus hits. Their indie pop or “punky
pop” thrives in that 2-3 minute sweet spot and each song leaves me wanting to
hear more. Their use of noisy guitar fuzz combined with bright simple keyboards
as emphasis remind me of recent music from Australia’s rocket rules (their new collection Dearden’s Number is also highly recommended for a great musical
start to 2026!), or MaxïmoParkwhen
keyboardist Lukas Wooller was a big part of their sound, and of course
there’s a massive influence of Spanish pioneers Linda Guilala (check out their
2014 song “Verano” for a head-spinning shot to the system).
“Quiero Que Perdamos La Cabeza (Otra Vez)”
comes on like a festive gang busking out the chorus at an open market, which
becomes a through line for the entire two-plus minutes as it builds into a
stomping banger that makes me feel like jumping around. The exciting dance remix (also included here)
is a nice bonus, as it smartly emphasizes the song’s frenetic and fun feel.
There are so
many songs that are also fueled by pure adrenaline like the buzzing “Quiero Que
Perdamos La Cabeza (Otra Vez)” and the truly punk drive of “Decidí Desaparecer,’ and the Heavenly-esque “No Quiero Envejecer,” and I cannot forget the power
chord driven closer (before two remix tracks) “Si Todo Se Tuerce.”
However, I’m
finding a huge draw to the more spacious and serious sounding bursts like the
determined sounding “Desde Cuándo” and the brilliant “Si Me Pierdo,” whose
contrasting verse and chorus brings back that good ole ‘LOUD/quiet/LOUD’
dynamic of early 90s indie-rock. My
favorite song here though is the dramatic “Me Acostumbré” and its powerful
idling engine bass-line that climbs to a cymbal crashing chorus. Much like the opening track “Salgo A La
Calle,” this song builds with intensity and when that second vocal
comes in late, shouting along with the original chorus vocal, it feels like a
desperate heartbreaker. Wow, what a
song! And what an album!
Whatever the
remainder of 2026 holds, I will always remember LISASINSON and how they helped
pull me from an extended period of doldrums on the music front. For that I am thankful. If I’m not feeling a lot from music, then I’m
not right. Period. Now, pardon me, while I go and listen to
their earlier albums. Meanwhile, I hope
you are inspired to give their music a chance!
