Track Of The Day Spunsugar
The constantly-evolving Malmö-based shoegaze trio Spunsugar return with the lead track, “Rodan”, from the upcoming EP, “Things That I Confuse”, due out October 1st, via Adrian Recordings, in the wake of the previous swirling synth-laden single, “(You Never) Turn Around”, momentarily leaving again aside the 90s shoegaze soaring abrasive distortions that had characterized the band since their beginning and, that combined with gloomy goth-tinged post-punk nuances, had enhanced their acclaimed late 2020 debut album, “Drive-through Chapel”, striking an astonishing natural balance between magnetic pensive moods and murky fuzzy tones.
The tune is cloaked in cinematic ambience with ‘references to Giallo films and Japanese sci-fi movies, in this case, it is Rodan, a monster-like and antagonist of Godzilla (Kaiju), featured in the first Kaiju (‘strange beast’) movie made in colour.
Described as ‘danceable-but-sad pop’ “Rodan”, a slow romantic dance I would say, is a vibrant melodic sway of broken dreams that exude urgency against its menacing undertows, brimming with contagious teen angst vitality, loaded with a latent introspective pent-up tension constantly on the verge of exploding.
The song, laced with mythic lyrics that draw from the powerful and destructive energies of the “Rodan” to encapsulate feelings of anger, helplessness, and fear, introjects into a captivating and invigorating spiral of heavy pumping rhythms, drilling percussions, chugging, punchy bassline and piercing stabs of chrome-plated guitar slivers to instil turbulent, churning foundations into wistful lines of twinkling and blinking synth chimes, resonating frantically around both sad and anxious, clear female vocals, longing and brooding in hopeless nostalgic harmonies under the hypnotic sentimental spell of the ‘monster’.
While peeling away all the blurry and edgy layers, “Rodan” remains dynamic and sharp, emotional and infectious, to straightforwardly spark on its own distinctive melodic and anthemic qualities without losing the boundless bittersweet sense of melancholy beneath.
If the daring young Swedish band will be able to switch and intersect organically, through steady and ever-changing combinations, the noise and tuneful, dark and light of their sound dimensions, would be an intriguing core from which to dare even more in the future, avoiding cheesy synth-pop lures.
Spunsugar‘s upcoming EP, “Things That I Confuse”, is going to be released on October 1st, via Adrian Recordings.
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Photo by David Möller
