Before I'd heard a note of Insomniac Dreams, Teen Idle's debut mini-album, I was already intrigued by Sara Abdelbarry's background notes and in particular one comment,
'What I've learned in the process of writing this, and it took me a long time to realise it, is that all the people who have treated me like shit have made me into a better and wiser person'.
It reads like the strapline for a debut novel, and as we should know by now, visceral feelings and naked honesty are always a good start as inspiration for music that really matters and actually deserves our time and attention.
Insomniac Dreams begins with a circling bass riff and a lyric that clues us into the territory ahead, 'you know it's hard to say goodbye...' "In The Morning" demonstrates Teen Idle's ability to let a song uncoil at a deceptively relaxed pace until it snaps back and you find you're hypnotised, welcome flickers of post-punk guitar texture undercutting the dream-pop soundscape.
Woozy sound affects herald "Sometimes" a song wielding it's ecstatic sadness with a stately dignity, massed guitars chiming towards the wordless conclusion.
"Memories" feels like the long painful walk away, when there are tears in your eyes but against the odds from somewhere you feel a determination to move on, the blazing guitar in the song's coda mixing with Sara's multi-tracked vocals until the moment of epiphany is reached. This is how catharsis works...
Insomniac Dreams is a nuanced, subtle record that becomes more compelling with each encounter.
All you have to do is make the time to listen.
- by Simon Heavisides
Includes unlimited streaming of Insomniac Dreams
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
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Teen Idle, Insomniac Dreams (Sunday Records).
When you wake, you're still in a dream...
Before I'd heard a note of Insomniac Dreams, Teen Idle's debut mini-album, I was already intrigued by Sara Abdelbarry's background notes and in particular one comment,
'What I've learned in the process of writing this, and it took me a long time to realise it, is that all the people who have treated me like shit have made me into a better and wiser person'.
It reads like the strapline for a debut novel, and as we should know by now, visceral feelings and naked honesty are always a good start as inspiration for music that really matters and actually deserves our time and attention.
Insomniac Dreams begins with a circling bass riff and a lyric that clues us into the territory ahead, 'you know it's hard to say goodbye...' "In The Morning" demonstrates Teen Idle's ability to let a song uncoil at a deceptively relaxed pace until it snaps back and you find you're hypnotised, welcome flickers of post-punk guitar texture undercutting the dream-pop soundscape.
Woozy sound affects herald "Sometimes" a song wielding it's ecstatic sadness with a stately dignity, massed guitars chiming towards the wordless conclusion.
"Memories" feels like the long painful walk away, when there are tears in your eyes but against the odds from somewhere you feel a determination to move on, the blazing guitar in the song's coda mixing with Sara's multi-tracked vocals until the moment of epiphany is reached. This is how catharsis works...
Insomniac Dreams is a nuanced, subtle record that becomes more compelling with each encounter.
All you have to do is make the time to listen.
- by Simon Heavisides
Includes unlimited streaming of Insomniac Dreams
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
This is absolutely beautiful! I am so happy the Under the Bridge releases led me down this road. It's unexpectedly spacious and just makes me happy! It's very hard to pick a favorite and I will not be skipping tracks as I play through this repeatedly. zq9mare1
Remember how Bill Murray woke up to I Got You Babe every day in Groundhog Day? If that song would have been Made Of Moods, he at the very least experienced three and a half perfect minutes each day. It’s one of those songs that I enjoy each and every second of, with it’s jangly guitars and hushed vocals that almost have a Beach Boys vibe, especially in the verse. Truly, it’s a song for the ages. But the best news about Still Life is that it offers eleven additional underground pop gems. Niek || Add To Wantlist
A new album of perfect low-key gems from Kim Weldin of Tape Waves' unassuming bedroom pop side project Shiny Times. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 15, 2019