Genre: Post-punk, Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
"In my dream, your heart I hold you're all I see."
To end their album, UNDERGROUND STARZ, The Fazes give us a slow and dreamy song that stimulates the senses. The whirling synth sounds along with the slide of the electric guitar being panned left to right are hypnotic and stir up my imagination. It’s definitely a song you can get lost in, with how spaced-out and repetitive it is in a good way. The drumbeat is simple, but nicely produced and plays an important role in the production. The sharpness of the snare cuts through the lush instrumentals to prevent everything from blending together into a wall of indistinguishable sound.
The dynamics within the sections are nice and clean as well and work with the drums to avoid muddiness. There are moments where certain instruments kind of step out of the mix, are quieted, amplified, etc. Having this helps the listener stay engaged with what they’re listening to, and they did this effectively!
Regarding the vocals, I wish they could have been a bit more present in the mix! They sound lovely, but I'd like to hear the lyrics a bit better. That way I could understand the meaning and be just that much more impacted by the composition. However, I think the lead singer has the perfect voice for this style of music. It’s soft, ethereal, and blends well with the rest of the instruments. I think they sound a bit too far away for my personal taste, but this doesn’t necessarily detract from how good I think they are along with the rest of the song! There are still plenty of elements in the form for listeners to enjoy. I particularly like the little rattlesnake noise that’s been added to the chorus. It’s fun and not something you hear in a lot of popular music. It caught my attention and gave me a giggle. However, there’s nothing funny about that guitar solo toward the end! The distortion of the guitar adds some more interest into the mix and is the cherry on top of this delicious music sundae filled with many layers and flavors that come together and form this tasty song.
Overall, I think “JUDAS KISS” wraps up the album nicely. It’s not the type of song you’d expect to be placed at the end with how slow and melancholy it sounds, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Sometimes what you need at the end of a long album-listening session is a song that can slowly lower your energy; kind of like a cool-down at the end of an intense workout that has you all sweaty and tired. As the first song I’ve ever heard from this band, I’m overjoyed and can’t wait to see the reception it (and the rest of the album) gets once it’s out for everyone to listen!
Be sure to check out the Fazes and stream their song "JUDAS KISS" off of their album, UNDERGROUND STARS out everywhere you listen to music!
For fans of:
Beach House
Dream, Ivory
Slowdive
Follow The Fazes on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thefazes?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Stream "JUDAS KISS" on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6rt2NLnfCffVLUQtC50AUY?si=s0MVem4gRrqDdKtRzIISYA&dd=1
Stream "JUDAS KISS" on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/judas-kiss/1679860854?i=1679860866&ls
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