To be able to welcome back the amazing Hertfordshire pair Nick Foster and Luke Barratt is no longer to conduct a usual music review but to appreciate what is essentially an amazing step forward of indie pop in the United Kingdom. The release of the album “Psychedelic Soul & Trash Vol. 3” gave off vibes of the crazy, chaotic times of the early 2000’s when mash-up culture was at its prime, full of creativity and unpredictability. However, the release of “The Pumphouse of Broken Dreams” on October 30th has changed all that. The inclusion of the Dutch vocalist Ilse Van Der Linden gives us an amazing focus within all of that noise. Let’s get started
The beginning of “To Think, To Heal” is not based on any sort of literal reading of its title. Rather, it begins with the gentle build-up of distorted guitar sounds under the electronic beat to create an expansive atmosphere similar to the soundscapes created by Sonic Youth’s noise rock. Musically, it opens with the vocals in the form of a raspy whisper, riding on top of the chords and breaking into a loud voice that sings out a cathartic line. In terms of lyrics, the song balances on the struggle between contemplation and searching for answers, putting the listener through an emotional journey that self-reflection is both a blessing and a curse. Self discovery and healing is very important to anyone’s mental health. Like RuPaul says “how can you love someone if you can’t learn to love yourself”. It’s important to take time to make sure that we’re all healed before letting anyone into our orbit to interrupt the healing process or get hurt by it and this song captures the lyrics perfectly. The music uses the combination of sharp guitar lines with rhythm sections and creates a powerful grip.
After the heavy opening of the track, “Flying” becomes an elaborate soundscape characterized by the sound of a starting engine or a meteorological warning sound, sparkling, echoed guitar riff lines superimposed over a constant synth bass line. Instead of using the literal aerial angle, the introduction starts with a single drum rimshot pattern that gradually builds up with various layers of warm analog synth sounds. The vocals are performed in an airy falsetto style that glides over the musical arrangement like a light feather. In terms of lyrics, the song is focused on the experience of being detached from oneself emotionally as a way of trying to rise above one’s own situation to escape some troubles. Our persona detaches him or herself from a particular person and uses flying as a metaphor of creating distance between them, similar to Rihanna’s song “California King Bed”, where the lyrics say “In This California King Bed, we’re ten thousand miles apart”.
“Come Home” opens with a striking, rhythmic synth line accompanied by organic sounding percussive hits, giving an instant sense of urgency to the track. Vocally, the song is rough and down-to-earth, with the verses using close-to-the-body phrasing moving on into a melodically-based chorus, with the singer’s belted lines backed up by broad vocal harmonies in stereo. In terms of lyrics, the song deals with issues of displacement, longing, and the complicated need for reconciliation, all within the context of trying to find somewhere safe amidst the loss of known places. The character in the song seems to be an artist on the road and yearns to have his special person by his or her side and urges him or her to come home. Musically, there is an overwhelming climax of heavy percussion and synth lines that are heavily distorted.
“Here I Am” kicks off in an abrupt manner with a sound like static. minimalist drum-snare beat with sharp, percussive keyboard beats playing along with it. The singing entry is powerful, confident, and upfront, making a clean cut through the mix with its sheer power and clarity. From a thematic perspective, this track is all about exploring the feeling of vulnerability and going through something without letting anyone around him or her to know that they are spinning or going through something. Wanting to hide our vulnerability is not new in any way. It’s a choice that we make in order not to bother people around us and burden them or to present a front that projects strength to protect ourselves. The music here is driven by the use of contrasting dynamics as it shifts from minimal to massive.
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” reimagines the concept of longing in a way that is eerie and psychedelic-pop oriented. Instead of starting with grand romantic chords, this piece starts with a wobble from the sub-bass and ambient sound that evolves into a sad guitar tune. In terms of vocals, the baritone delivery of the piece expresses tragic devotion in place of sentimentality. In terms of lyrics, the concept of love and the thin line between being devoted to someone that we love. In this song the character comes clean and lets us know that struggles in relationships are not new and that even though the relationship they’re in is not ideal and even when logic outweighs these circumstances, our heart simply cannot listen or oblige and this song really zeroes in on this subject matter.
“Lost & Burnt” starts with a lo-fi tape hiss sound effect that dissolves into a crunchy, heavy electric guitar motif and a thumping synth kick. The vocal performance is gritty and saturated with drive, conveying exhaustion and intensity with every phrase. The song explores themes of burnout, past failures, and the slow process of rebuilding from absolute ruin. The character in the song makes it perfectly clear to anyone surrounding him or her that, they cannot fathom what it is that they’re going through. Musically, the thick distortion and relentless drum pulse provide a gritty backbone that propels the arrangement forward. Its impact is visceral and cathartic, giving listeners a sonic release for built-up frustration and weariness.
The song “In My Dreams”. opens up with an electric piano lick that is played alone with the sound of reverberations coming from the room. Later, the song adds on a brush drum lick, creating a very serene atmosphere. The singing voice is tender in nature, characterized by the quality of warmth and vibrato. In terms of lyrical content, the song features surreal imagery to discuss how people create ideal realities within themselves as a way of dealing with the difficulties of everyday life and dealing with the mundane
“AIR” begins with the rhythmic beats of a low-frequency oscillating pulse that filters itself up into the higher frequency, blending with the wide synthesizer arpeggios that populate the entire sound spectrum. The vocals are clear and concise with dynamic variation ranging from precise rhythmic verses to powerful resonant vocals. The song explores human connection as an element of survival, letting people know that he or she can live without this person and their existence in their lives isn’t making the impact that they think they have. This is sure to put these kinds of people in their place and letting them know that our life in fact moves on with or without them. High-energy dance and indie rock rhythm-driven music give the song its stage energy.
“BLEND” ends the record by beginning with an ambient sound from the piano mixed with synths that are played back in reverse, along with some field sounds. The vibe behind the song has much to do with integration and synthesis, whereby the fragmented aspects of past experience come together to create one single whole. Musically, it acts as a grand ending for the record and expands to become a wall of music with soaring guitars and synth lines. As the most avant garde song on the record, it makes sure that listeners leave with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the record and the brilliant minds behind it
“The Pumphouse of Broken Dreams” is a true artistic masterpiece that showcases the impressive maturity and growth of Legends of the Seven Golden Vampires, dream-pop artists from Hertfordshire. In contrast to their first album, which made a great impression on everyone because of its genre-busting combination of classic warmth and modern edge, this one is truly flawless and perfectly polished.
The band brought everything that they had done so well from the start, honing their distinctive sound in a manner that made for a stunningly cohesive album. The key element of this musical growth is the vocals provided by the Dutch artist Ilse Van Der Linden, and her presence within the band represents a stroke of genius, bringing with her a melodic and otherworldly quality that permeates the psychedelic pop of the group. As a die-hard fan, listening to this album is an absolute privilege because seeing a group of musicians reach this level of greatness and creativity can only mean more to come.
Stream “The Pumphouse of Broken Dreams” on Spotify
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