Mikal Cronin – Tide 7″ – Styrofoam Drone

Believe it or not, this is our first time covering anything from MIKAL CRONIN. This 7″ came out at the tail end of 2011 from the world famous Goner Records, limited to just 500 pressings.

Listening to this material now, it makes me pretty bummed I didn’t hear it any sooner – the worst part about that is I easily could have, there’s just always so much else to get caught up in. But enough worrying about what could have been! By this point many of us probably already know the deal with Cronin – to keep it simple, the dude is great and has been in the game for years so that means he knows exactly what he’s doing (do I have to mention he’s worked frequently with Ty Segall?). “Tide” is no exception to this claim. Driven by his sharp and energetic guitar hooks, this song is literally overflowing with positive vibes and enthusiastic exuberance that is so easily palpable. Crashing, rolling drums never miss a beat, keeping you moving through the duration of the track as Cronin adds to the frenzy with a scorching guitar wash that literally drowns the rest of the song for a solid thirty seconds. These are the kinds of arrangements you would expect from someone with above-average songwriting prowess.

This is proven again later in the perky, soft-rocking B-side “You Gotta Have Someone,” where Cronin coos with concern as he leads us into a weeping guitar breakdown that splits the song open at the seams. If you didn’t believe us earlier, by the end of this single you will probably change your mind. Don’t forget to go and snag a 7″ from Insound because there’s only 500 to go around! Hopefully one day in the near future we can also take a stab at Cronin’s excellent full length debut to share with all of you. Stay tuned!

Tide –