Recommended Listening: A Desert Man
Posted: by Riley
The reinvigoration of post-hardcore and alternative rock in the early to mid-2000’s holds a specific place in my heart – and, I have a hunch, it does for many of you as well. We’ve seen emo and shoegaze – quickly and respectively – enter and and exit the spotlight within the past two years, and we’re starting to see a more diverse spread of sounds emerge in indie rock. Bands sure love the departure record this year: Citizen affected sinister 90’s snarl on their sophomore effort, Title Fight offered their alternative take on punk-gaze, and Turnover brought vivid dream-pop in with Peripheral Vision – a move i’m sure we’ll see mimicked in early 2016. The scene’s sonic palette has never been richer or more diverse than it is now; as of late, we’ve seen a reintroduction of lo-fi and jangle-pop, but also some shades of the anthemic, emotional rock our generation grew up with.
One of the most unique and exciting projects to fit this bill is Cincinnati’s mysterious A Desert Man. Earlier this year, the duo took their ideas to Atlanta’s Glow In The Dark Studio to work with Matt McClellan (Being As An Ocean, O’Brother, Frameworks) and emerged with two singles, “Cirrostratus” and “Halocline.” The former evokes everything from Explosions in the Sky’s soaring crescendos to Thursday’s aggressive brand of pop-rock; the latter does the same thing, but with higher highs and lower lows. The dreamy track does an impeccable job of transitioning from moments of reverberating calm to grandiose cries of desperation and vice versa. The band’s meticulous arrangement of dream-pop and post-rock is polished and resplendent, lending stadium-rock clarity and drama to poignant slow-burners. A Desert Man is the unique kind of project that could unite fans of Thursday (and newer Geoff Rickly projects like No Devotion) with fans of 30 Seconds To Mars and even late-era UnderØath. Check out both songs and stay tuned for more from this awesome project.
FFO: Thursday, 30 Seconds To Mars, Explosions in the Sky, Sleepwave
