The artistic duo GRAZER hails from Melbourne, and their new single “When You Looked At Me” is a striking mix of retro styles and contemporary production. They effectively bring what they describe as “backgrounds in painting, photography, and poetry” to the music. And with what sounds like a compressed cymbal keeping time and the reverb dialed up to eleven, this song delivers a hazy dream pop melody that fans of shoegaze and slowcore will not want to miss. The track comes replete with old school synths, washed out vocals, and anthemic hooks that defy the limitations of genre and fandom. In other words, there is something here for nearly everyone.
To quote the band, the whole track is “saturated with the melancholic optimism of youth.” The momentous chorus, which repeats the titular phrase, evokes that youthful optimism before transitioning to an infectious synth hook. There are traces of My Bloody Valentine and especially The Cure in the reverb-soaked production. Like some of their best work, this track has a limited scope and a focused approach–it captures the very specific feeling of being young and, yes, being looked at. All sonic layers coalesce in the final thirty seconds of the song, building to an ambitious conclusion that will reward the listener through cheap car stereos, hifi headphones, and bluetooth speakers alike.
I do not recommend missing this dream-like foray into sonic nostalgia. Take a listen to “When You Looked At Me” below.
Written by SilenceKid
