The Loud Bangs
Spectral Field
It’s one thing to study a genre and decide it’s not for you, it’s another to dismiss it without a substantial thought process or reasoning behind it. Take for example Shoegaze, which gets a bad rep (thanks a lot, British press), primarily from those who don’t understand the complexity of it. The term refers to guitar players who are staring at their pedalboards during live gigs. Granted, some of those pedalboard are bigger than the Death Star, but the sonic possibilities are endless - not just in tone, but in how one performance can vary from another. In that sense - Shoegaze should be considered quite improvisational, while at the same time having the ability to be as harsh as Punk, as danceable as EDM, and powerful from the spoken word and lyrical aspect as Hip Hop and Beat poetry. On top of all that, it’s perfect for the digital video art realm and sync opportunities in Fantasy, Sci-Fi and more. This band, “The Loud Bangs,” does as exceptional job at creating in this space.
The band formed in 2021, fronted by guitarist Alice Street, with guitarist Daisy Gutierrez, bassist Hannah Remley and drummer Marcus Nemuro. They’re based in Los Angeles and have been fortunate enough to team up with Jill GG, an LA-based avant-garde filmmaker, who has helped them create a host of stunning videos for the numerous EP’s and singles they’ve released. In total, they have at least 20. From their latest EP, “Salvation Memorial Hospital,” here’s our review of “Spectral Field.”
Track starts with a simple beat at roughly 94 bpm, and a 3 chord pattern in A from a nice analog toned synth guitar patch. The drum pattern reminds me of Stewart Copeland’s early playing with The Police when he would put delay on some of the hats and sidesticks - very cool. Vocals come in quickly, complimented with some single note, high accompaniment in the 5th octave. One of the great things about this genre is guessing what instruments are being used to play each part. It sounds like a synth, but it’s probably a guitar tone coming off that Death Star sized pedalboard. Absolutely love those right to left sweeps that come in after the “first verse,” and the solo riff from the lead guitar is beautiful.
Do we care about what they’re singing about? Hell no, that’s not the point - the point is the ambient vibe that washes over you - the layers of fuzz and riffs that create the warmest of audio baths and auditory experiences. The drum pattern and bass line stay consistent while we take our bath - until around 2:33 when an alternative kick pattern emerges to amp up the performance. Very cool how the mood has shifted towards the lower octaves at this point - and then they build it back up again on the high end around 3:40 with added loops, drone like tones and vocals that are buried in the back. That alternate kick pattern has pulled back a bit by 4:15 (either that or we’re more involved with the drone wash), which sets up a fade out for the last 30 seconds that leaves of thinking of signals blasting out into space.
The mix on this track is massive and subtle at the same time. You need to hear it on nice monitors as well as your in-ears to get the full presence. If you think it’s muddy, you’re not listening intently enough. It’s very clear, and the EQ and compression installed is a perfect compliment. Too much reverb and distortion in this genre can kill a track, and that is nowhere near to happening here. If you’re new to this genre, find one tone to focus on and follow it through the entire track - then do it again with an opposite sounding tone. Once you’ve heard the track a couple of times while actively listening to one instrument, tone, or line - you’ll begin to hear (and experience) the larger picture and gain an appreciation for how complex (and subtle) this is. “Spectral Field” is the perfect name for this song and experience - kudos to Alice and Darren Callahan for the composition and layout of this gorgeous track.
Do yourself a favor and scroll down to check out their other tracks, and socials. The videos for “Playboy Tattoo,” “The Gloria Films,” and “Candy Sometimes Always” are stunning - a perfect compliment to the song and perfectly fitting for the genre. This is an exceptionally talented and resourceful band that deserves your attention. If you’re unfamiliar with the genre this is about as good as it gets for an entry point, you’ll be hard pressed to find creativity entities as solid as this one. We’re big fans now and look forward to what they’ll be doing next.
Check it out now!