Video Of The Day ROBERT CHURCH & THE HOLY COMMUNITY
The most attentive and long-time indie-pop aficionados should recall the Swedish group with the catchy name Robert Church & The Holy Community, likened to Belle and Sebastian, Sebadoh or Radio Dept., which debuted in 2007 through the consistent seal of quality from Cloudberry Records, the quite prolific and distinctive cult DIY label, first based in Miami, then relocated to Astoria, NY, which, while I always appreciate its musical contents and the lovely covers, I’ve never entirely enjoyed, not being a real CD/CDr enthusiast. The following two years will be however the most active and prolific for Stockholm‘s outfit with the release of only two studio albums, “Le Rouge” (Series Two Records, 2008) and “Los Tres De Canarias” (The Fox Pop Recording Co., 2009), to then fall indefinitely off the radar.
Actually, one of the two members should have reappeared in 2016, until 2020, through the intriguing band moniker Gentle Ivanhoe Death Skulls, with a fair number of singles and even a full-length LP via the constantly focused French tape imprint Hidden Bay Records.
The elusive duo Mlam Dos Castagnettes & Jam Nalnsjö quietly resurfaced last week with a time-travelling video for the evocative new single “1988,” a song about a simpler time immersed in friendship, freedom, and dreams.
A gentle glittering lo-fi pop lullaby, “1988” suffuses surreal, bittersweet emotions into warped icy bright keyboard twinkles, brittle poignant glistening guitar melodies, and steady hypnotic distorted beats to carry soft breathless vocals through the hopeless longings of yesterday’s lost tears.
Groovy DIY 80s nostalgia floods the mind’s eye with memorable fashion, dance style, and carefree vibes to transport the viewer back to the vintage whims of “1988.” Contagious energies, blurry trace overlays, and curious attitudes blend seamlessly with the dreamy textures of the soundtrack whilst retro laser lights, synth configurations, and endless outdoor horizons concoct a heady transformation of body, mind, and soul.
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