Headlamp is a New York-based independent music duo with a DIY approach to songwriting and recording. Although their music is self-recorded from their own homes, it still feels professional and studio quality while retaining a lo-fi quality that makes everything feel more emotional and real. These qualities are seen in their single, “A Drunk and Stumbled Past,” released on May 22nd.
With a runtime of just over 2 minutes, the song manages to set a mood and atmosphere in a timeframe that can keep the attention of most listeners in the modern era, where people have notoriously low attention spans. The combination of acoustic and electric guitars perfectly contributes to the mix of lo-fi and produced sounds. One layer of guitar has heavy effects, but an acoustic guitar drives the song’s rhythm along with bass and drums.
I enjoyed the electric guitar tone and its noise rock-influenced sound. The guitar plays a lead melody that feels slightly dissonant in a way that adds a haunting layer of atmosphere. That moody atmosphere fits well with the single’s artwork, which is entirely in black and white and features an image of a massive, gothic church. All of these aspects, combined with the somewhat drowned-out sound of the vocals in the mix, create a mood that feels relaxing, melancholic, comforting, and tragic simultaneously. You can find the song on YouTube HERE or support the band directly on BANDCAMP, where you can also pre-order their upcoming album East By Sailing West, coming out July 25th.
Written by Naomi Niemiec
