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Friday, August 24, 2018

The Heard

Bound shows beautiful side of heavy music in Orlando debut, Dearest emerges as full band

Posted By Bao Le-Huu on Fri, Aug 24, 2018 at 9:53 AM

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Jen Cray
Bound at Will's Pub

THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Bound, Boston Marriage, Uh and Dearest, Will’s Pub, Aug. 21

Bound is a promising new D.C. band that just made their Orlando debut courtesy of local promoter Endoxa Booking. Being practically post-everything, they’re not a group that’s conveniently sorted. Stemming audibly from metal, post-rock, shoegaze and dream pop, their influences are many and varied. But in their hands, it all proves complementary. At once gossamer and heavy, their sound is a complex fog of slow-breath mood and bottomless, elegant melancholy. In its quiet stretches, it verges on evaporation. But when it rises, it comes in like a tsunami.

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Jen Cray
Bound at Will's Pub

There are only two meaningful ways to experience this band: at volume on a stentorian stereo with no neighbors or live. In person, they don’t just play, they envelop, like a magnificent hurricane of pristine fuzz and groan.

click to enlarge

Jen Cray
Bound at Will's Pub

How committed to texture is this band? Just look at this sick-ass pedal array:

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Jen Cray
Bound at Will's Pub

All told, Bound’s lush vision shows the more beautiful possibilities of heavy music.

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Boston Marriage at Will's Pub - JEN CRAY

Jen Cray
Boston Marriage at Will's Pub

Good performances were also given by reliable local openers Boston Marriage and Uh.

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Jen Cray
Uh at Will's Pub

But showing a very new look was rising Orlando act Dearest. The solo loop-and-layer guitar vehicle of Tracy Farah has now spread its wings as a full-band project. Admittedly, a two-piece isn’t everyone’s idea of a full band. But with the capacity that Farah already handles alone, the mere addition of a drummer can qualify.

click to enlarge

Jen Cray
Dearest at Will's Pub

Not to completely hang the work on gimmick, but there is a real magic to watching a skilled loop-and-layer act work alone, and Farah is a notably good one. Well, the looping still happens. But with just the addition of a drummer, Dearest’s songs already take on whole new sense of flight and scale. What was a lovely, sparkling cloud before is now a gorgeous silver tower. They’re still finding their footing as a unit but the case for expanding the Dearest sound is already made.

click to enlarge

Jen Cray
Dearest at Will's Pub

click to enlarge

Jen Cray
Dearest at Will's Pub

Follow Bao on Twitter (@baolehuu)
Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com

Tags: bound, dearest, tracy farah, boston marriage, uh, endoxa booking, this little underground, the heard, orlando music news, orlando concerts, orlando shows, orlando music, bao le-huu, jen cray, Image

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