This is one of those records that gets tagged shoegaze but which owes as much to electro-pop. Above Me by Above Me is the new one from Rick Alteri. He was in Blue Ocean, and readers will remember how much I loved that album back in 2023. This one is just as good.
"Out of Body, Out of Mind" kicks things off in nimble fashion. While that cut, and the churning "Modern Marvel" seem to draw inspiration from Glider-era MBV, the looser "New Pains" is a bit more diffuse. A hint of Seefeel peeks through the corners of that cut, even as the ebullient "Grass Mouth" roars with a bit more purpose.
That push-and-pull between exuberant hooks and settings which are more ambient gives this record supreme listenability. Remove the vocals and "Shine Thru" could be an ambient track, or pull back the guitars on any number of these and you'd get some updating of the electronic pop we heard in earlier decades. Rick Alteri deftly blends a few sub-genres here and the results are every bit as compelling as what we heard from him in Blue Ocean. Highly recommended.
Above Me by Above Me is out today via Dandy Boy Records. Details below.
[Photo: Dandy Boy Records]