Pantry Ghost - defeatandyou

year: 2015

genre: experimental lo-fi post-rock 

tracklist:

1. privilegeandconsequence

2. lifeandfear

3. riseandshine

physical release:

short run of DIY tapes by the artist

listen/download

Pantry Ghost's debut ep hits you with a wave of somber atmosphere and driving crescendos that will make your heart palpitate. this 3 song EP combines ambient noise elements with beautiful instrumentation ranging from guitar, trumpet, piano, and more. Vocals are used sparingly but to great effect with layered vocals helping add to rising emotions and completing more somber minimal sections. This EP will make you stop in your tracks and contemplate everything and is a great debut by a artist i can't wait to hear more from.

-Conner

Bear Creek - Sickly

genre: Lo-fi/ emo

year : 2014

tracklist:

1. yrs

2. bite me

3. dingus

4. april 22

5. recently deceased

6. asleep

7. breaking mirrors

download

cassette tapes available here

Bear Creek is back once again. Deciding to take a break from dark trap project Yung Baer $quad Erik has made "Sickly". This album will allow you to bob your head more and has a more depressingly upbeat feel. But don't worry there is still sadness in droves. With tracks like and classic Bear Creek spacey dreamy feel such as the ambient creepy "april 22" and the gentle piano to dreamy fest that is known as recently deceased" actually the whole second half of album take a turn into the more slow dreary territory, this is my personal favorite part of the album ending with a throwback to the sound in "Listen To This With Your Eyes Closed". Overall different in some aspects the same in other, but good none the less.

-Conner Sgarbossa

Bear Creek - .˙.

genre: lo-fi dreamy sad pop

year: 2014

tracklist:

1. Awkward State Of Consciousness

2. Close

3. Dead Siblings 

4. Right Track

5. Fuck Yr Friends/ Message ( Alex G cover)

6. Safety Seat

7. Car

download

Bear Creek is at it again with a new album. ".˙." is another step towards more sad dream poppy sound (rather than his acoustic beginning). This album  is 7 songs of atmospheric beauty that i could listen to all day, i could go into detail but i want you to experience it for yourself. But because technically i am reviewing i will tell you it is extremely good and strongly advise you go listen to it and i will leave it at that, enjoy.

-Conner Sgarbossa

Cedar Falls - Elsa

genre: ambient/dark folk

year: 2013

tracklist:

1. The Last Time I Saw Elsa

2. There

3. Memorybook

4. Isolated Roads

5. Julia

6. The First Time I Saw Elsa

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i was drawn in by this EP immediately, "Elsa" by Cedar Falls is a amazing journey through a dark reverbed out world full of atmosphere and looming darkness. With some tracks such as " The Last Time I Saw Elsa" and " Memorybook" displaying beautiful ambient atmosphere, and " There" and "Isolated Road" applying a more fuzzy familiar sound accompanied by dreamy vocals. This Ep is amazing and I am in Love, I can't wait to hear future releases.

-Conner Sgarbossa

Bear Creek - Listen To This With Your Eyes Closed/ Lutitia

Genre: acoustic / lo-fi / experimental

Year: 2013

Tracklist:

Listen To This with your Eyes closed:

1. Yelling At Mirrors

2. X's For Eyes

3. Perfect Neighborhood

4. Migraines and Renee

Lutitia:

1. Her Ghost Staring Me In The Face

2. Paint Composer

3. Secret Spy

4. Velvet Naptime

5. Fuck Yr Friends

download

Alright this is a double review.. well kinda two albums by the same guy. Alright this is Bear Creek , It is the solo project of Erik Jensen and I left speechless. But i have to write a review so i will try and formulate words. I chose to do two albums because Bear Creek covers two different yet familiar sounds in each album that need to be noted. First off is "Listen To This With With You Eyes Closed" this album is mainly acoustic with slight "fuzzy" additions in the background. This album starts out with one of the saddest songs i have every heard, "Yelling at Mirrors" Literally takes my breath away. Combining a slow sad guitar riff with harmonix adding atmosphere and some amazing use of doubled vocals create a song that immediately stops my heart and takes my full attention. this album goes plays through as nice stroll through a park in the rain, "Perfect Neighborhood" takes a more upbeat turn reminiscent of the Moldy Peaches and then the album comes to  close with the dreamy  "Migraines and Renee". 

 Lutitia takes a different turn with the addition of electric instruments, drums, and a more full sound. The First track "Her Ghost Staring Me In The Face" starts off as a melodic treat before turning into a crescendo with full drums and a perfect transformation.This album gets progressively weirder as if you are walking deeper into  cavern with bright crystals everywhere. Going from the instrumental almost 8-bit "Paint Composer" to fuzzy crunchy organized chaos that is "Velvet Naptime" and coming to and end with an almost psychedelic note on "Fuck Yr Friends". These two albums are amazing adventures through an amazing mind, I highly recommend both of them as well as his other albums. 

-Conner Sgarbossa