The latest Dark Tea album, a self-titled full-length out this spring on Fire Talk Records, follows the archetypal hero’s journey. Taking its inspiration from neo-noir, the record allows the listener to follow a protagonist “from the abyss all the way through atonement,” painting a vividly grimy world of danger and intrigue. But there is nostalgia too, a kind of second layer to the record, a self-aware retro quality that calls upon the stylish noir aesthetic as the antithesis of the mundane modern world.

The latest single to be unveiled from the record, ‘Deanna’, is a track rooted in this nostalgic outlook. “Walking through the backyard of your mind,” sings lead Gary Canino. “Were you reaching through the shed to take time / Back to the rear view life / All my memories are entwined with that house.” The sense of loss and longing is balanced with an easy-going confidence. The bright rhythm supported by a piano interlude and lush backing vocals, giving everything a classic polish and style.

The song’s position in the narrative arc of the record is supported by the LA-centred video, co-directed by Canino and Current Joy’s Nick Rattigan. “We wanted to create a complete work of fiction,” Canino says. “[Nick Rattigan] and I were inspired by LA noir and the concept that Los Angeles itself is the dark heart of crime writing and film. For us, nothing really tops Michael Mann’s Heat or William Friedkin’s To Live and Die in LA. We shot the film in one smoggy Los Angeles night with bandmates, Jacob Rubeck and Noah Kohll.” Check it out below:

Dark Tea will be released via Fire Talk Records on the 30th April and you can pre-order it now from Bandcamp.

The post Dark Tea – Deanna appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Various Swell Sounds is a new collaborative playlist series from Shana Hartzel of Swell Tone, Jon Chin of Cereal and Sounds, and myself. Instead of constantly exchanging tracks amongst each other, we have decided to work together to bring them to more ears. Every month, we will match a selection of our old and brand new favourites to a specific theme, as decided on a revolving basis month by month.

After the brutal summer, the leaves are finally turning, which can only mean one thing. Yep, it’s the time of year to slip on pavements, make tired jokes about pumpkin spice coffee and hide behind closed curtains to ignore the calls for candy from ghouling children. We’ve made a playlist of songs to see you through the cool and crispy season.

There’s a Playmoss and Spotify version below, so choose what suits you best, though due to incomplete catalogues the are slight discrepancies between the two.

Check out our other Various Swell Sounds entries here and here, and head over to Swell Tone and Cereal + Sounds for the edition over there.

The post Various Swell Sounds #9: Cool & Crispy appeared first on Various Small Flames.