Dans Party
It’s sort of comforting knowing bands are drawing more and more influence from ’90s alt rock. Gliss really is no exception with their latest release, Langsom Dans, being a shoegaze-y, grungy mix of angst and noise. Discovered by none other than Billy Corgan, Gliss represents a part of Los Angeles still in love with flannel shirts, My So Called Life and Crystal Pepsi.
“Blood on My Hands” kicks off the album with textural synths, vibe-y vocals and tribal-esque toms, establishing the gloomy mood of the album that’s still quite fun and charming. “A To B” brings memories of recent ’90s aficionados, The Naked and Famous, with boy/girl vocals, loud and buzzy bass and huge, layered sounds filling up enough space for you to drown in.
Songs like “Hunting” and “Waves” make Corgan’s interest obvious, with the same sounds that made Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness as dramatic as it was. A hint of Slowdive and Jesus and Mary Chain are present as the reverb helps the song climax to pleasant heights. “The Sea Tonight” is an appropriate title for a surf-y, garage pop track Best Coast and Wavves would be impressed with. The band changes pace by breaking the gloom and letting down their hair.
“Kite In the Sky” closes the album as an appropriate culmination of the record’s sound. Gliss paints a dusty landscape with more than enough apparent influences: The Cranberries, Lisa Loeb, Sinead O’ Connor and the rest of 1989-1993. It’s probably untimely for the band to release this album around the same time as My Bloody Valentine’s mbv (well, no one actually saw that coming), but that shouldn’t matter when Gliss wields their sound, not only with great passion, but with the right amount of heart. Langsom Dans is its own beast.
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