On June 22, 2018, Novusolis officially release their sophomore album, Collapse. However, Echoes and Dust has been given early access to the album and is available for streaming via YouTube today. It will be released in collaboration with Head For West Records based out of Ottawa, Canada.
If you don’t already know this, Novusolis is made up of Amanda Lowe and Zachary Perron and if you have listened to their music, you will know that although they are a duo, this has not stopped them from producing incredibly full, rich and multi-layered music. As with other artists in this genre such as Sigur Rós, Her Name is Calla, aswekeepsearching, Chelsea Wolfe and No Mistakes in Space (just to name a few), Novusolis also include vocals on their tracks. Their lyrics touch on abuse, weakness, self-confidence and doubt, love and strength. A couple of the tracks on this album are bilingual, having lyrics in both English and en Français. Both the vocals and instrumentation on this album are truly emotive and create a dreamy soundscape with, at times, that signature wall of sound we tend to hear in this genre of music.
The album starts out with an epic instrumental track, coming in at almost the 12-minute mark. It is appropriately entitled, ‘Intro’. (I sense a theme here since the first track off of the band’s first release, Fevered Dreams, was also entitled, ‘Intro’.) A quiet reverberated beat starts things off, followed by shimmering guitar swells. It’s an atmospheric slow ride through space and time. Changes and layers are added ever so slowly. Around the 5:15 mark another sound is introduced, bringing another dimension to the track. Shifting it from a laid-back listen to a slightly more uneasy one. Listen for the change at the 8:17 mark, tremolo picking here are its finest.
The second track, ‘Bones’, was previously released as a single late last year. I loved it then and love it even more now. The duo has changed it slightly since then and it sounds even better. The beat is heavier, guitars more emotive and vocals even more dreamy. It’s just more. The lyrics hit home and I find myself emotional every time I hear it.
I happened to hear their third track, ‘The Hunt’, live at one of their shows earlier this year. I heard the story behind it, which made the track an emotional one. Read the lyrics and you’ll know why. The track has a great bass line and drum beat. Each set the ominous tone very well for this track.
The fourth track, ‘Closer’, is perfectly placed in the middle of the album. It’s unlike all the other tracks off the album. It’s R&B meets Funk meets 80s meets Post-Rock. It’s steamy and sultry, sending chills down my spine. At the 3:01 mark, heavy guitar and soaring vocals really turn up the heat. Again, the tremolo picking on this track is great.
The title track, ‘Collapse’, starts as a dreamy, meandering track. With hills and valleys, creating a great soundscape. At around the 2:44 mark you can hear that wall of sound slowly building, then crashing over you.
The two last tracks are my most favourite off the album. ‘Atlantis’ and ‘Breathe’ are so very emotive. The emotions conjured up listening to these tracks had my senses fully engaged and wonderfully overwhelmed. Both are perfectly arranged. One of the lyrics on ‘Breathe’ really struck me as beautiful, “Breathe me in, I’ll breathe you out”.
This sophomore release showcases the duo’s continued experimentation with sound. Delving further into the world of synths and effects while keeping their signature sound of emotive instrumentation and dreamy vocals. The album sends you on an emotional trip and leaves you feeling like a stronger person at the end of it. The band will be touring in support of this release, playing a few shows in Ontario, Canada and later in the UK. Check out their sites for more information.
