Album Review
Skateland – ‘Joyce Howell, How are You?’ [EP] [Album Review]
Skateland’s ‘Joyce Howell, How are You?’ is a slice of indie-pop heaven enriched with scrumptious, soft-serve textures of dream-pop.
Skateland, the indie-pop project of Dorian Williams II, has released his new EP Joyce Howell, How are You?, a sequence of sonic vignettes exploring the leitmotifs of the human condition in the contemporary world.
Williams shares, “This is my version of a New Yorker column where I touch on the thoughts and experiences I’ve had this past year and take some time to reflect on what they all mean in the grand scheme of both my life and life in general.”
Based in Austin, Texas, by way of Las Vegas, after studying at the University of Texas, Skateland started playing around with various instruments in his bedroom, developing his unique sound, a blend of wistful lyrics with new wave and pop elements.
Along with recently opening for Foster the People, Skateland performed at the We Found New Music Showcase in Los Angeles, multiple showcases at SXSW, and opened for Strange Ranger and South Korean darlings Say Sue Me. He’s been featured in elite media outlets and has appeared on numerous Spotify playlists.
Of the five tracks on Joyce Howell, How are You?, high points include the opener “Sunset Cinema,” a low-slung, shimmering song riding crisp, gliding percussion topped by dream-pop layers of colour and Skateland’s silky-smooth vocals. The sway and mood of the melody are spellbinding.
Skateland, photo by Lindsey Chambley
The filtered vocals of “Postcards!” shift to soft, gauzy surfaces and then back again, giving the tune the feel of a beautiful dreamscape. The glitchy intro of “Autobahn!” flows into a new wave-tinted melody as Skateland’s breathy vocals imbue the lyrics with a luscious stilting motion.
The title track travels on a syncopated rhythm that supports coasting, iridescent harmonic layers that interweave in translucent, fractal patterns as Skateland’s dreamy vocals give the lyrics warm, dreamy blushes.
Joyce Howell, How are You? is a slice of indie-pop heaven enriched with scrumptious, soft-serve textures of dream-pop.
Joyce Howell, How are You? Track Listing:
1. Sunset Cinema
2. Postcards!
3. Autobahn!
4. Sunbeam
5. Joyce Howell, How are You?
Run Time: 19:09
Release Date: November 15, 2024
Record Label: Independent
Gaerea: “I knew what emotions I wanted to convey with this album. I knew it was going to be more about me as an individual.”
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