Where does shoegaze end and dream pop begin? These are largely useless terms since so many things these days get lumped into those genres. Heck, some of the peak shoegaze records were made in the space right before that term was even coined. So how do I talk about the new EP from Swimming Bell without resorting to those descriptors? I'm not entirely sure.
The opener of Somnia, "Found It at the Bottom of the Ocean" is really hypnotic. Katie Schottland sings atop a swirling bed of slide guitars and atmospherics. The whole effect is perfect for this time of year, when the sunlight lingers longer and the heat makes things a bit hazy. Elsewhere, that slide anchors the fine "Meet My Shadow", and the catchy "I'm Always Down". Both betray a debt to Seventies-era FM radio, not early Nineties pedal-gazers. And to her credit, Schottland knows a good hook when she's got one. That's why I hestitate to use the term dream pop lest a reader think the effects here were more important than the melodies.
Producer and mixer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith) gives this whole EP real depth, enough that even a light number like "Mushrooms in July" is punctuated by instrumentation and synths to keep things moving. The closer, "95 at Night" is really excellent. I could see fans of bands like Haim and Weyes Blood gravitating to this one. While I prefer material like "Found It at the Bottom of the Ocean", I must admit that "95 at Night" is the composition here which reveals just what a formidable artist Katie Schottland is.
Somnia by Swimming Bell is out today. Details below.
[Photo: Lisa Bolden]