Los Angelese band Smokescreens are no stranger to great indie-pop. The band's 2018 album, Used To Yesterday, was fine, but their newest, A Strange Dream is even better. Out on Slumberland Records on Friday, the release is exactly how to do jangle-pop in 2020. The production from David Kilgour of The Clean only takes this to another level too.
Now while the presence of producer Kilgour is noticeable, it's hardly the sign of the band being derivative of the sound of The Clean. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Smokescreens intentionally want to sound like The Clean here, and they succeed. "Fork in the Road" has one of the best guitar-hooks of 2020 anchoring it, while "On and On" feels familiar too. Elsewhere, "Working Title" is a tiny bit harder, the riffs a little louder, while "Streets of Despair" sounds less like The Clean and more like The Close Lobsters from 1987. The economical songwriting of Smokescreens places a premium on a big central guitar-figure, with the supporting instrumentation and vocals built around that. At times, the sound here recalls Velvet Crush but Smokescreens are less interested in The Byrds than they are in Flying Nun Records.
A brisk listen, A Strange Dream wastes little time in delivering the kind of chiming rock that so many of us grew up on, and which so many us are sustained by still. Even a relatively down-tempo number like "I Can Still See You" reveals how focused these musicians are on finding a strong melody, even if they momentarily get lost in textural variety. Still, Smokescreens are never going to be a shoegaze band, no matter how loudly the guitars crash, and chords slash. A Strange Dream is both a lesson in how to craft jangle-pop, and one of 2020's very best examples of the form, stretched over 10 tracks.
A Strange Dream is out on Friday via Slumberland Records.
More details on Smokescreens via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Smokescreens]