Now Hear This! #023 – The BV’s, SUNLIT, R.E. Seraphin, Sonic Blue

Now Hear This! This time we are diving into dream-pop and jangle pop, genres highlighted by creamy, shimmering textures that deliver waves of sparkling, hazy colours. This week’s artists comprise The BV’s, SUNLIT, R.E. Seraphin, and the effortless dream-pop of Sonic Blue.

We’ll bring you a new post each week, songs from which will regularly be added to our accompanying “Now Hear This” Spotify playlist.

Find all past Now Hear This! installments right here: https://v13.net/features/now-hear-this/.

The BV’s – Taking Pictures of Taking Pictures

German dream-pop outfit The BV’s, whose name sometimes appears in majuscule and at other times in minuscule, recently released their new long player, Taking Pictures of Taking Pictures.

The band consists of Josh (vocals, guitar), Matt (bass), Fred (vocals, guitar), and Hannes (drums). Its sound merges hints of jangle pop and dream-pop with nebulous traces of surf and new wave exhalations. Talking about the name, The BV’s, Josh says:

“When we first started writing songs together, neither of us wanted to sing, so we thought that ‘The Backing Vocals’ would be an apt name. Like everything, though, it has acquired other meanings throughout the life of the band. A lot of our themes, lyrics and album titles are about abstraction, about not being able to say what you mean, about the space between the words and what you say, so I think the band name speaks to that, too.”

Best moments on the album include “Clipping,” “Breakdown,” with its motoric beat, and the floating sensation of “Blue/Golden Sunshine.”

SUNLIT – Sunlit

SUNLIT is the project of UK-based artist Joe Moore, who released his self-titled album. Moore was previously part of The Yearning, The Perfect Kiss, and Julie Et Joe.

Drifting, ethereal guitars and gentle, smooth vocals mark SUNLIT’s sound, giving it an irresistible, gossamer flow. There’s a sumptuous delicacy running through SUNLIT’s compositions, harking back to the quixotic savours of pop in the late ’60s.

Entry points include “Someone So Beautiful,” “1985,” and “I Won’t Let You Go.” The lush, throbbing ambiance of “Break My Heart,” about the challenge of always loving someone, no matter what they do, is both warm and slightly melancholic.

R.E. Seraphin – Fool’s Mate

Fool’s Mate, the new long player from R.E. Seraphin, will drop on March 22. Vocalist/guitarist R.E. Seraphin says, “I don’t really do traditional narratives in my own music, but I do enjoy the storytelling aspects of Americana music. After playing in scrappy garage rock bands for over a decade, I’m drawn to more refined musicianship.”

Of the two tracks available for listening, “Bound” offers tangs of alt-rock mixed with jangle pop and hushed, breathy vocals, forming an echoing sonic passageway.

“The lyrics are meant to evoke a sense of corporeality — there are references to skin, sweat, teeth, and breath throughout the album, which I intended to unsettle the listener,” explains Seraphin. “On the surface, they are love songs but there’s a suggestion of something more ominous.”

Sonic Blue – Juseyo

Virginia Beach, Virginia-based shoegaze/dream pop project Sonic Blue released a two-track EP, Juseyo, near the end of February. The EP is only available on Bandcamp, where it barely registers. White Light // White Heat picked the title track as one of their songs of the week. Other than that, there is a paucity of gen on Sonic Blue.

According to their Bandcamp page, Lisa writes the lyrics and sings, JJL handles the music, and MA and Dave D provide additional help.

Softly thrumming, shimmering melodies offer a gliding matrix for Lisa’s ethereal, dreamy vocals. Both tracks, “Juseyo” and “Marble,” are excellent, with the latter being perhaps just a tiny bit better than the former because of its mirroring harmonies.