WL//WH Premiere: PHANTOM HANDSHAKES Falls Short Despite “Good Intentions”

WL//WH Premiere  PHANTOM HANDSHAKES  

WL//WH is pleased to welcome Phantom Handshakes, the New York-based Lo-Fi, Dream Pop collaborative music project between Federica Tassano and Matt Skyler, back to the blog for a premiere of the Official Video “Good Intentions”, the first single from Phantom Handshakes’ forthcoming LP “Sirens At Golden Hour”, due out digitally on August 21, 2024.

‘Good Intentions’ explores how, despite our best intentions, we sometimes fall short of achieving the goals we’ve set out for ourselves, possibly due to bad days, anxiety, or mental and physical issues. And It’s perfectly okay to take a step back, proceed at a slower pace, and adjust our objectives. However, this can be difficult to accept in a society that values efficiency and success as top qualities.

“Good Intentions” Single Artwork

With “Good Intentions” the duo keeps on refining their sinuously bewitching dream-jangle-pop vision of soothing crystalline enchantment, gently pulsing on steady hypnotic drum beats immersed in soft fuzzy mists pierced by obsessively emotive rippling waves of twinkling guitar melodies, subtly stirred by nervous knocking percussions, sparse whimsical synth flutters, and distant wailing distortions, whilst fragile dreamy vocals fret and sigh after a tough time, into a breathless longing for rest.

Crafty visuals by Matt Skyler himself use animated lights and shadows to construct shape-shifting personas to sync with the transformative aspect of the soundtrack. Imagine an illustrated silhouette dancing behind an expressive performance by Federica Tassano, then colors layer both black and crème frames, giving the illusion of hands becoming antlers.

Phantom Handshakes’ self-produced new single, “Good Intentions”, is the first excerpt from the band’s upcoming studio album“Sirens At Golden Hour”, slated for release digitally on the 21st of August.

Keep up with Phantom Handshakes: