Across recent months, New York indie rock outfit Van Chamberlain—that’s brothers Van (vocals, guitars) and Jacob Chamberlain (drums) along with Michael Powers (bass), Suzie Kim (synths), Oscar Romero (synths) and Garret de Block (synths, backing vocals)—have released a steady stream of singles to introduce their second full-length As Far As the Eye Can See. Forever shifting up and down the continuum between hazy dream pop and more urgent, angular new wave/post-punk sensibilities, the record is a real step up for the project, allowing them space to capture the diverse and ever fluid emotional landscape with a sound malleable enough to match any situation.
Decidedly bittersweet in nature, opener ‘Miracle Drug‘ represents “a nascent crush brought to life in all its longing and shimmering potential,” as we wrote, “where the line between melancholy and possibility is porous and the world itself feels new.” ‘Running Through the World‘ follows, a self-described “anthem of nonconformity” which chooses, as we’ve stated previously, “to pursue love and optimism regardless of how intent the world seems to be on erasing such things,” while the pillowy drift of ‘Room Service’ gives into the allure of daydreaming about this possibility. A similar hopefulness could be said to inform ‘Solutions‘, though the tone is very different, swapping out the charge and certainty of its predecessors in favour of a sound altogether more contemplative. “A song delivered from the mire of the present, dreaming of a fresh start that’s not yet quite in reach and all the more alluring for it,” was how we described it. “A romantic vision of a possible future that’s so compelling it carries an urge to scrunch up your life and begin anew.”
And things don’t slow down from there. ‘The Right Line‘ juxtaposes difficult themes with smooth grooves and ‘EZ Ways’ pairs a similarly wistful reflection with an insistent sense of forward motion, as though caught between the urges to look back and move on, before ‘Fantasy TBD‘ lets go of the handbrake to offer the most boisterous and cathartic cut on the record. “What might be the band’s most propulsive single to date,” we wrote, “the song grapples with the long tail of a break-up, attempting to break free from the spell of a relationship that won’t quite let you go.” Van Chamberlain seem to take this imperative literally, their attempt to break free sounding exactly as forceful and determined as such an action should. Closer ‘Dream Life’ emerges from the wake of this, moving slowly, almost hesitantly, as though stepping into the too-bright light of a new day. But while there’s still a clear nostalgic haze to the sound, there’s a distinction to be made from the earlier songs on the record. A willingness to separate the dream from waking life, to move on with the past in tow but not colouring every waking moment.
Dream life
Heaven knows that we tried
So lets meet up in dream life
As Far As the Eye Can See is out now and available from the Van Chamberlain Bandcamp page.