On its sometimes utterly unhinged, sometimes heartrendingly beautiful E.P. Title Track, Portland quartet Dowager crams a lot of divergent influences, elements, and combustible sonic materials into its atomic artcore reactor with improbable cleverness and success. The subsequent explosion can be mesmerizing, calling to mind American Football and Mineral as much as Orchid and early Converge.
“The record and this style of music for us isn’t about being abrasive just to be abrasive,” guitarist/vocalist Benardo Relampagos tells Decibel. “It’s about taking pop songs and stretching them as far as they will go.”
If any of the above piques your interest, we’ve got an exclusive stream of the track “Coastal” below.
“‘Coastal’ is about grieving the loss of my best friend and becoming disenchanted with everyone else that I love,” Relampagos explains, “and the frustration that there seemed to be more comfort in my own grief than other’s condolences.”
For more Dowager hit up Bandcamp.
