Breathlessness is a growing label based in Hoppers Crossing, Australia, a suburb located southwest of Melbourne. They released the debut cassette EP from SUN BAZEL in Altona, loaded with their creamy psychedelic space pop.
Clocking in at 28 minutes, this wonder crew creates and executes a clean and vivid take on pop that leans heaviest on dream pop and psychedelic rock. When it’s all said and done you may be questioning yourself – “Was I in the middle of an extended dream sequence or did I sit and listen to a 30-minute tape?” Their craft is lush and expansive, loaded with gooey synthesizers and textures, ripping guitars and an overall pop sensibility that progresses right before your ears.
Guitars buzz with a distinct fiery flare as if they were just cooked under the glare of a magnifying glass beneath a scorching sun. They’re sticky and colorful, providing the EP with a unique tone that isn’t easily matched. “Cloud Hill” is an exemplary track, built with deep bass, hypnotizing synth hooks and warbled guitars that meld right into their tantalizing grooves. Together these elements sound pristine and crystal-clear with lights reflecting brightly off of each track’s glossy surface. Vocals in “Too Young” are breathy and robotic but also warm and welcoming. The track swims in a backing layer of cooling haze and synths provide a mesmerizing melody, swelling together into a pearly glow that lights up the night sky. “I Can’t See What You Can See” introduces plucked acoustic guitars and cooing vocals. It’s drawn out as if you were hiking on a nature trail – you encounter birds chirping, wind blowing and waves washing up on the shore before the guitars gravitate calmly back from space.
“It’s Alright (Party Song)” steals the show at the tail end of this stunning EP. The track begins as a cool acoustic campfire sing-along with thoughtful lyrics before morphing into a fanfare of sorts. Rattling percussion, tambourines and bongos roll in to flesh things out, then the synth begins to surge and the landscape looks and sounds so much different. We’re suddenly sent through a black hole-like time-warp that converts everything into this explosive finale, complete with a melodic guitar solo that’ll blow the space-shuttle’s door clean off the hinges. These cassettes were super limited and unfortunately already sold out but you never know what could happen down the road. Listen to these few tracks below and you’ll too be wondering how you can still get one.
My Rating: SS
Genre/ Tags: Dream Pop, Electronic, Psychedelic, Space Rock
Sun Bazel EP: Tracklist:
1.) Oosheen of Mind
2.) Halfway
3.) Cloud Hill
4.) Too Young
5.) I Can’t See What You Can See
6.) It’s Alright (Party Song)
DOWNLOAD the EP for FREE on Bandcamp (the cassette sold out)
Sun Bazel on Facebook
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