Skymender’s debut album, “If and Only,” rises not only as an aural testament to a new sound frontier but as a beacon of audacity in a sea of musical conformity. Available for streaming, digital acquisition, and for those with a predilection for tangibility, on limited edition orange vinyl come October 20th, via Steadfast Records.
A sublime entwining of Ashley Scurto’s celestial vocal cadence and the melodic musings of guitarist Kenny Grose becomes the heartbeat of the album. The brilliance is further fortified by the rhythmic precision of drummer S. Dwayne Bruner, a seasoned talent with accolades from the likes of Government Issue and Cross My Heart, the string artistry of James Banta, and the resonating profundities offered by bassist Zahin Huq.
Skymender, while resonating with the undulating waves of shoegaze, doesn’t tether itself solely to the genre. It crafts an audioscape that draws inspirations from post-punk’s grit, post-rock’s expansiveness, emo’s emotive fervor, and dream pop’s ethereal embrace. The resulting sonorous tableau is nothing short of lysergic brilliance.
The hallowed halls of Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore, Maryland bore witness to the birth of “If and Only.”
With J. Robbins at the helm, engineering, mixing, and co-producing, the album’s auditory dimensions are a testimony to meticulous craftsmanship and unbridled passion.
And as we premiere their new track, “Jetwash,” one can’t help but be swept into Skymender’s transcendent vortex, a veritable journey through time, emotion, and the very fabric of sound itself.
Dive into it, and tell your friends, cause within its edgy layers lies an ethereal shoegaze dreamscape waiting to envelop the senses.
