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ALBUM REVIEW: NARCLOUDIA - DAY BLIND STARS


“Day Blind Stars” is the long-awaited full length effort of local alternative psychedelic-darkwave trio Narcloudia. Right after they’ve made rounds in their place of formation, Singapore, the three went all the way from being one of the best kept secrets on the other side to finally landing on our shores to present their sound. Beginning with the “Sky Spectre” EP back at around 2014, which is an overlooked record for me at least, it seems like it could be the right time for Narcloudia to somehow re-emerge from this fog of music obscurity and reclaim the throne of their respective sound.

Echoing the hypnotic vocal cues and dreamlike soundscapes of Sugar Hiccup and Siouxsie and the Banshees, Narcloudia have pretty much inherited those influences from the get-go and made their latest oeuvre, “Day Blind Stars”, with so much more grim imagery, maturity, and ambition than their previous projects.

The first track in the album, “Tracy”, retains their strange aura while adding the brand-new and improved psychedelic production. “Howl” and “Crisis” are tracks that are creepingly menacing as the guitar picks add up the atmosphere and maintain the mood at the centre. “Charmed” has a quirky and playful feel to it, reminding me of Fishman’s earlier material. Narcloudia’s lead vocalist Bea Alcala has the voice that could haunt many listeners with her beautifully eerie voice, with “Spiralling Mandy” and “Colour Wheel” being the case in my point. “Kettle Mettle” intensifies the album’s pace by adding those punchy drums plus its frightening guitar work and vocal performance. The title track, “Day Blind Stars”, being my favourite track out of the nine, is a lullaby that’s worth pinpointing the essence of Cocteau Twins. Everything that this track has is near perfect, it doesn’t get too drab nor doesn’t it get too overly-dramatic. Narcloudia has proved that making something as hypnotizing as a track like “Day Blind Stars” can flourish without the over reliance of effects and cultural gimmickry. The last track “Stream of Subconsciousness” fittingly closes the album with no filler whatsoever.

Overall, Narcloudia’s “Day Blind Stars” is without a doubt a return we’ve been waiting for. Unleashing a barrage of ambient harmonies and unnerving yet intricate musical framework. While some say that listening to this album is an acquired taste, I beg to disagree. “Day Blind Stars” is an essential listening experience for all listeners from all walks of life. Felt like you’re born in the wrong generation? Well, Narcloudia will relive that particular sound and they will forever stay true to it from the very start. And this is the part where I can gratefully wish that they become the progenitors of an incoming movement in the next year or so.

Now what do you folks think of their new project? Do you like it or not? What is your opinion about it? Let me know in the comments below. Always leave a reaction below if you feel like it.

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