Our featured album this week is “Illuminator” the brand new record by New York City neo-psychedelia / shoegaze five-piece GIFT.
With new and unabashed inspiration from artists as diverse as Madonna to MGMT, GIFT (vocalist/guitarist Freda, multi-instrumentalists Jessica Gurewitz and Justin Hrabovsky, drummer Gabe Camarano and bassist Kallan Campbell) generates a dynamic genre fusion on Illuminator with just the right spritz of electronic elements and widescreen pop production techniques.
While there are obvious allusions to label forerunners like Beach Fossils, DIIV, and Wild Nothing, GIFT are transforming those aspects into amazing new vessels for the present moment—sleek, often danceable, and frequently hypnotic.
On songs such as “Light Runner”, “Going In Circles” and “Destination Illumination,” Freda also demonstrates a newfound confidence and versatility, embracing pop music as a vehicle.
“At our shows from the Momentary Presence tour, people would stand in the crowd wide-eyed without moving. We wanted to get people moving with the new album, so we were really inspired by bands like Primal Scream, Oasis and Massive Attack. It’s our psych-rock tribute to U.K. rave culture in the ‘90s.”
“This album has a lot of themes of going fast, time passing and things changing. These moments can change in a split-second and affect the rest of your life. For better or worse, it’s hard to control that. Instead, sometimes you just let yourself be taken – like you’re surrendering.” Freda explains.
GIFT’s instinct to push forward was further inspired by a growing friendship with Sonic Boom (Pete Kember), a key member of shoegaze/experimental rock legends Spaceman 3 and producer for bands clearly influenced by his own music, including Beach House, MGMT and Animal Collective’s Panda Bear.
Throughout, Freda and company thankfully undertake much of the hard work for us: falling in love and experiencing heartbreak. Watching events and moments pass like cars on a highway. People you used to know come in and out. Grieving the loss of several periods. Watching everything happen at the same time. For these and other reasons, Illuminator could be the soundtrack to your life.
Illuminator is out now through Captured Tracks. Grab it here. and take a listen below.
Tracklist:
- Wish Me Away
- Light Runner
- To The Stars And Back
- Going I n Circles
- It’s All Too Fast
- Falling Down
- Destination Illumination
- Later
- Glow
- Water In My Lungs
- Milestones
Photo by Marisa Bazan
