Setili started the algae dust project as an exercise in improving her guitar playing and teaching herself to mix, working instinctively to build on ambiguous ideas that explore themes of “nostalgia, cyclical thought, and the importance of perspective.” Starting slow and subdued, ‘circular’ is a good introduction. “Well I’ve been walking circles in my mind,” Setili begins over gentle bedroom pop guitar. But it’s not long before the song sparks into something bigger, fellow Frankie Valet member Gram Tolish providing drums as the song crashes into life in its final third, transforming into something with considerable force.

This duality becomes a theme across the algae dust half of the album. Tracks that start soft and intimate find stormy peaks or refuse to settle into recognizable patterns, peaceful blue skies of songs like the patient instrumental ‘by the window’ sit next to grey rainclouds and agitated squalls of emotion, like ‘grasp’ with its constant percussion and whirring organ-like keys.

The hennen side sees Rainey work through feelings of heartbreak, isolation and self-sabotage using an iPhone and her distinctive brand of twee-tinged garage rock. It takes the Shady Bug formula (catchy hooks and knotted, unpredictable melodies) and strips things back, losing some of the sheer power of the full-band crescendo but gaining an intangible sense of the personal. There is perhaps more of a pop influence, which comes to the fore on tracks like closer ‘bothered’, sounding remarkably slick and streamlined with its electronics and yearning vocals.

There’s a definite sense these songs give Rainey space to experiment, allow her to venture into areas that perhaps wouldn’t fit Shady Bug. Tracks like ‘lizard’ shift between woozy bedroom pop and contemporary r&b, while ‘auto-pilot’ smothers strong vocal melodies in wobbly, underwater distortion. But that’s not to say there’s not a healthy dose of indie rock grit on display. ‘the hardest’ has a propulsive energy and satisfying rumble in its bones, while ‘zero expectations’ juxtaposes gentle vocals with blown-out distorted guitar. All in all it’s a consistently surprising and cohesive split, and one which feels right at home on the It Takes Time discography.

algae dust // hennen is out now and you can get it on cassette or download from the It Takes Time Records Bandcamp page.

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It’s the first actual record release on It Takes Time, and proves to be a watershed moment for both band and label. The blurb says the record “confronts both the clamour of youthful confusion and the stillness of nostalgia,” tracing the blueprint of their debut and taking it in completely new directions. “In other words,” the blurb goes on to describe, “it’s the sound of four friends growing together.”

While Stop apologizing was a record mostly written by Nelson and then brought to the group to flesh out, Waterfowl is a truly collaborative venture. It’s the sound of four people putting their heads and souls together to create something unique, a fact reflected in the eclecticism and unpredictability of the record. Take for instance the stripped-back opening of the pseudo-title track ‘Water foul’, just Setili’s vocals and subtle guitar and heaps of negative space, versus the song’s second half, which sees it transform into an emo-influenced rocker that wouldn’t look out of place on the last American Poetry Club record. This erratic nature is exacerbated as the song ricochets into the frenetic ‘Engulfed’, which barrels along at breakneck speed around deadpan vocals. It’s maybe the first straight-out rock song Frankie Valet have recorded, adding an as before unseen directness to their sound.

This proves to be another noticeable evolution for Frankie Valet. Compared to the nostalgic fuzz of Stop apologizing, Waterfowl‘s production is succinct and stripped-back, capturing the essence of their live show. Take the taut opening of ‘Our apartment’, the sparkly pop of ‘You found me out’ (which starts like a throwback pop tune, but slides into a rousing kick drum stomp), or the yell-along finale ‘Alright okay’, which feels like a definitive celebration of DIY community that’s over in barely over a minute.

But it’s the album’s mid-way point, ‘Soft Skin’, that feels like the most important moment. Setili once again takes vocal duties in a track that builds from a dreamy shuffle, stepping through a hidden doorway just before the minute mark in one of Frankie Valet’s signature tempo changes. It’s the song that that best illustrates both the past and present of Frankie Valet, and leaves us guessing as to their future direction.

Waterfowl is out now on It Takes Time Records. Get it via their Bandcamp or the Frankie Valet Bandcamp page.

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Song list:

Options – Waiting
2nd Grade – Favorite Song
Alexander – Going to Sleep
Ryan Van Gonten – Fabrique
Haunted Continents – What Were You Born For?
Weakened Friends – Blue Again
Shybaby – Lazy Hazy
Frankie Valet – April
Primo! – You’ve Got a Million
Hypoluxo – Kentucky Smooth
Basement Revolver – Knocking
Dead Painters – Output
HALEY – Infinite Pleasure Part 2
Doe – Heated
Ing – Dust
Benjamin Shaw – Terrible Feelings!
internet boy crush – ghost friend
lowly loverboi – Dumb Phone
Dead Tooth – Liars
Kin Hana – You
Bodega – The Truth is Not Punishment
The Cordial Sins – Not Enough
Indoor Cats – Fun 2
Upstairs – Trust the Process
Sabriel’s Orb – Holding
John Atkinson – Bakwaves // Rye
Fanclub – Leaves
The Chairman Dances – Acme Parking Garage
Con Davison – Talk
Ivy Dye – Diminish
Elizabeth Owens – I Long
The Last Bison – Don’t Look Away
Our Fastest Typist – It’s Nice Outside, but My Head is Killing Me

You can find all of our monthly round-up posts here, and our complete array of mixtapes here.

The post September 2018 Roundup appeared first on Various Small Flames.

The album opens with one of the aforementioned singles, ‘Something to do with a mouth’, what we described previously as “like a purply-pink orb that morphs and melds across the four and half minute run-time, constantly shifting in perfectly fluid pop perfection.” And that last bit is important, because if there’s one thing you should take from this review it’s that Frankie Valet can write pop songs. Like, really well.

Which isn’t to say there’s anything formulaic about the sound. Rather, the band explore other styles through a pop lens. Take ‘April’ as an example, sounding almost like Parts & Labor if they had made shimmery pop, the track building towards a big bombastic chorus, all slapped drums and near-yelled vocals.

“I’ve been killing four years
waiting for this shit to fall in line
and when I find it’s all I wanted
will I give up again?”

One of the standout aspects of the album is the way Frankie Valet alter the tempo within songs, like the way they slam on the brakes in ‘Holes in Your Story’, morphing from shoegazy pop to something slow and insular, or the pulse-quickening little pockets of acceleration that dot the aforementioned ‘something to do with a mouth’ like whitewater rapids in a river.

As we’ve described previously, lead single ‘Why blue’ is part throwback pop, part shoegazy indie rock, with an uncanny habit of finding tempo and melody when you least expect it. Just as things seem to settle into a somnambulant shuffle, driving drums kick in and the song rides a little eddy of energy to somewhere entirely new. The result is something equal parts fun and sad, twin emotions tied together in nostalgic fuzz.

‘Fall in 2’ pulls a similar trick, although perhaps a little more conventionally. The first two thirds are all sweet pop, the near-whispered vocals thick with a sense of infatuation, before giving way to a big crunchy finale. This atmosphere of devotion continues into ‘mint 2’; “This is so new,” they sing, “but I feel like I’ve known you for a thousand years,” over slinky surf pop and steady pounding percussion.

The final proper song ‘Concert Pad’ feels like a dreamy oasis adrift at the end of Stop apologizing, pretty acoustic guitar and subtle vocals conjuring the most intimate atmosphere across any of the eight tracks. The effect is one of a soothing balm, welcome sedate relief after the frantic energy of the previous songs, and it’s a lovely way to round off the album.

Stop apologizing is out now on It Takes Time Records and you can get it via their Bandcamp, or digitally from the Frankie valet Bandcamp page.

Also – The band were kind enough to answer some questions about the album and their creative process. Check out their answers below!

Hi, thanks for speaking to us! You’ve just released your debut full-length, Stop apologizing. How does it feel to finally share it with everyone?

It feels like excited relief. It’s a good time capsule of what we’ve worked on for the past months, during times of turbulence and excitement and fear, as our lives are continuously shifting.

What can people expect from album?

I think there’s something for everyone, centered around lush production and simple songwriting. Some guitars and some keyboards and other goodies. All swirled together, it feels like uneasiness made still.

The album feels like an indie pop patchwork of lots of different styles and genres. What/who would you consider its biggest influences?

As far as songwriting goes, Felix was listening to a bunch of classic dream pop at the time. Cocteau Twins, slowdive, a lot of 4AD stuff. There’s also lots of new wave in this release but also undercurrents of ‘90s rock like Dinosaur Jr. and REM. Gram cites Radiohead as a big influence. Overall, it’s hard to pinpoint influences, because like you said, it’s a patchwork, and all of our experiences and perspectives came together on this album to make it what it is.

The lead vocalist swaps across the album’s eight tracks, so how does that work, and who writes the songs?

At this point, we try to write collaboratively as much as possible. This new record is a product of the beginning stages of that process; ‘April’ was written full band and Jack took lead for example. For another, our producer Pete asked Alison to sing ‘Concert Pad’ because her voice works well for the song. It often depends where the song originated. If someone came up with a melody and then brought it to practice then they generally get dibs on vocals, but if it originated via a jam then we usually talk about who is gonna sing. The next record will have more of an organic approach, similar to how ‘April’ was written.

You’re releasing the album via it takes time records, how did that partnership come about?

We’re good buds with Mickey and Jordan! Good kids.

Finally, would you be so kind as to name a few artists (say, 4 or 5) that you’ve been listening to lately?

Felix: Aphex Twin, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Staple Singers, Jeff Rosenstock, Prince, Ride
Gram: Castlebeat, Nai Palm, Cool American, Florist, Big Thief
Alison: Florist, Emily Yacina, Radiator Hospital, Corbin, Strange Ranger
Jack: Cool American, Illuminati Hotties, Strange Ranger, Ratboys, Sonic Youth

The post Frankie Valet – Stop Apologizing appeared first on Various Small Flames.

To get us all further hyped up for the album, today we have the pleasure of unveiling a music video for ‘Why Blue’. In our last post we described the track as “part throwback pop, part shoegazy indie rock, with an uncanny habit of finding tempo and melody when you least expect it. Just as things seem to settle into a somnambulant shuffle, driving drums kick in and the song rides a little eddy of energy to somewhere entirely new.” The result is something equal parts fun and sad, twin emotions tied together in nostalgic fuzz.

The video, directed by Jeff Kardesch, captures the vibes of the song beautifully, hazy images of shadowy ripples, dead flowers and an obscured protagonist floating across the lens like scenes from a dream. The paradoxical lo-fi-yet-vivid aesthetic is perfect for the Frankie Valet sound, as is the simplicity and authenticity of the footage, the home-video filter lending a wistful edge that marks the track as a whole.

Check it out below!

stop apologizing is due for release on the 31st August via It Takes Time Records, pre-order it now!

The post Video Premiere: Frankie Valet unveil video for ‘Why Blue’ appeared first on Various Small Flames.

‘Why Blue’ is a great introduction, part sweet throwback pop, part shoegazy indie rock, with an uncanny habit of finding tempo and melody when you least expect it. Just as things seem to settle into a somnambulant shuffle, driving drums kick in and the song rides a little eddy of energy to somewhere entirely new. The chorus, when it comes, feels beamed from the surfy 60s, group vocals repeating the line “why do these colours make me blue?”

Follow-up ‘something to do with a mouth’ swaps vocalists but retains the same spirit, like a purply-pink orb that morphs and melds across the four and half minute run-time, constantly shifting in perfectly fluid pop perfection.

Both tracks are great, and we’re super excited for the full album, more on which soon. For now head to the Frankie Valet Bandcamp page to get this single.

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