Social Station: Our Pleasure of Solitude

Social Station is a dark wave/post punk band from Washington, D.C. This is very pensive music to me. Listening to Our Pleasure of Solitude had me reflecting on the choices I’ve made in life, analyzing memories, and thinking about the future. To me, this album is best listened to next to an open window, with the sound of life echoing in the background as if the music could always be a part of the world. Social Station has a sound very reminiscent of late 80s synth jams, with a mellow and subdued sadness. There is a lot of influence from dance pop, but the way it is incorporated is very unfamiliar to me.

When I would see something with the label dance pop, I have had a tendency of writing it off. I’m normally not the kind of person that can embrace music that cheerful. I like the darkness of the world a little to much to be all that interested in it. This is the first dance pop album I’ve listened to all the way through, and I suddenly realized just how close minded I had been. Dance pop isn’t a tightly defined genre, and if within a person there is a desire to express the harshness of life in a catchy and beautiful way, it will be extraordinary. This is the music you dance to when you have a broken heart. To me, this is a hautingly accurate expression of a beautiful sadness. The sort of feeling that inspires artists to fully throw all of who they are into their work. The vocals are dark and deep, I kept thinking to myself that he sounds a lot like Nick Cave. The singing is very passionate, and has quite a range.

This music would absolutely go well with an evening of wine and poetry writing, drawing, or any artistic expression. Social Station has a sound that calls forth the creative part of my mind. Hearing such well composed music bring out a desire to create my own. I love finding new music that inspires, and Our Pleasure of Solitude will be out to inspire the world early next year. Check out their website to stay up to date with their release schedule!

 

Preview here: https://socialstation.bandcamp.com/

My favorite track: https://soundcloud.com/socialstation/sky-will-fall/

Sun & Flesh: Self Titled

Sun & Flesh is a Rock/Metalcore band from Brooklyn, New York. It’s been getting colder, and as the seasons change I find myself listening to music with a heavier sound. Something about seeing through the trees, the bite of the cold, puts me in the right state of mind to listen to Sun & Flesh. This album has 11 songs, and they all seemed to build on each other. The more I listened to Sun & Flesh, I started to realize just how much is going on in the music. It’s a sound that’s familiar, but I see that as a good thing. Sun & Flesh has an engaging sound that will pull from a broad spectrum.

Overall, Sun & Flesh have their own sound. The songs are very guitar driven, and range from a Metal or Metalcore sound to a quiet and more somber tone. The band that I’m reminded of the most is Killswitch Engage, I could easily see them touring together. I am not an expert in this genre so I’m sure there are a lot of other bands they could be compared to. That’s the thing about them though, they have a sound that casts a wide net. I love the guitar work. Every song is not only well written, but also has so many harmonies, lead riffs, and solos that add so many layers to this music. The Vocals are full of harmonies, screaming, intense backing vocals add to the atmosphere of their self titled release.

On a more personal note, about when this album was first released I played with Sun & Flesh when they were touring through Baltimore. They have such a big sound, and the power of their live show is tangible. They put on a great stage show, and were really nice guys. If you have a chance to see them live I highly recommend checking them out! They are always on the road, you can find their schedule in the links below

 

Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/sunandflesh/sets/sun-flesh

Official Website here: http://www.sunandflesh.com