Premiere: Second Still, ‘The Future’
Kevin Bronson on
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L.A. trio Second Still make slate-grey coldwave music, as evidenced by the reverential post-punk on their 2017 self-titled album and two EPs, 2016’s “Early Forms” and last year’s “Equals.” Now the band — Suki Kwan, Alex Hartman and Ryan Walker — are entering their “Violet Phase,” the title of the album they will release on May 17.
Written this past winter in Joshua Tree and Idyllwild, the album, produced by Ben Greenberg, introduces some subtle shifts in the trio’s sound. Synths lead the way on some songs; violin and saxophone make appearances; and guitar sometimes doesn’t show up at all.
Kwan waxes about what lies ahead in the new single “The Future” over a throbbing bass and synths that feel like ice cubes running down the spine. When the synths convulse into a mournful outro, you’re not sure whether to look ahead, look behind or live in the moment.
||| Stream: “The Future”
||| Also: Stream “Double Negative” and “New Violet”
||| Live: Second Still celebrate the release of their album along with Cold Showers (also celebrating an album release) on July 11 at the Echoplex. Tickets. Second Still’s April dates supporting Lebanon Hanover, which were postponed due to visa issues, have been rescheduled for December at the Echoplex.
||| Previously: “You Two So Alike”
Really feel that Second Still dropped the ball with this, literal, “difficult second album”. And its really hard saying that as they have so much potential.
This entire second album is very much a concept album and there isn’t a single track on it that comes near the sinister power and beauty of tracks such as Opening or the darkening resonance of Recover.
Please – stop using synths, or, if you are determined to use them, make sure the volume is the correct level. I don’t know who manages them but whoever it is needs sacking – there’s no way they could listen to the album and think, “Fuck yeah! This is great!” Because it isn’t. It’s shite. A big steaming, turgid pile of shite. Hopefully they’ll go back to what they do best on the next album – dark driving baselines and sparse melodious guitars, all glued together by Kwan’s incredible, versatile, vocals.