As someone who is newer to experiencing dream pop, this album is such a great introduction. Gutter Rabbit, the newest release from moodlighting, had me hooked from the first silken vocal in the intro track, Chipmunk. This song references a real experience the band had, finding a chipmunk on the trailside and giving it a thoughtful burial, feeling connected to this creature that they’ve never interacted with before this sad moment in time.
With lyrics like “I was always bad at leaving something behind/ I know what that means now/I’d cup my hands to catch the light in your eyes”, I’m reminded of my own issues with attachment, even to things that aren’t really “mine” to be attached to.
The song ends with the haunting lyrics “Are you alone where you are now/we all grow colder now”, and makes me as a listener remember the ever-clicking clock of my own mortality song with the unknown of what awaits on the other side of this plane of existence.
Every song in this tracklist has fantastic instrumentation, a catchy riff or ten, and such dreamy vocal deliveries. This band does a remarkable job at setting a scene with upbeat electric guitar melodies, and pairs it with heart-wrenching lyrics, a truly perfect combination for a rainy and cozy day in.
The 11th song on the record, Bully, describes what I interpret to be a statement about negative self-talk destroying your self esteem and self image. The words we speak are like spells, and like the lyrics say, those negative spews can spread disease in our minds, changing the existing neural pathways. We can be our own best friends or our own worst bully, and even though it sometimes may not seem like it, we DO have a choice in the matter.
The last track on the record, Not my cat, creates a gorgeous atmosphere with its swinging guitar rhythms and an almost groovy bassline. I was entirely hypnotized during this track, not even realizing it was the last until it was over.
The last line of this project seems to sum up all of the individual thoughts on this album into one momumental line, “Can’t stand the thought of dying all on my own”. This record touches on so many things: attachment, self-trust, mortality, self worth, and does it in a way that is cohesive and relatable.
If you’re reading this and feel the aching in your chest as you read those words, please listen to Gutter Rabbit in full and experience this other-worldly sound that moodlighting has so careful curated.
Written by Newt Fangs
