In 2005, Ryan Policky and Erik Jeffries launched A Shoreline Dream, diving into the world of shoegaze music. Their newest album features a collaboration with Mark Gardener of Ride, a partnership that began after Policky and Jeffries attended a Ride concert in Denver in 2023. Gardener's influence is felt on three tracks of this eighth album.
The album kicks off with "Whitelined," a classic shoegaze piece where Policky's vocals are so drenched in delay they become almost inaudible. This stands in sharp contrast to "Everything Turn," a track sung by Gardener where each component aligns perfectly, though the restless drums slightly disturb the ethereal feel.
Tracks like "In Fear" and "Falling Back To Reality" achieve an ideal balance, merging elements reminiscent of Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine. "Written In Dust," another Gardener collaboration, takes on an electronic shoegaze vibe, highlighted by its strong keyboard presence. The instrumental "A Spark" provides a pleasant shift in tempo.
"A Simple Path Of Destruction" sees Policky using an abundance of echo, creating a cloudy, immersive soundscape. "Lost Of The Words" is another instrumental, fusing dark gothic atmospheres with shoegaze, evoking a Bauhaus-like feel. "The Dream" mixes various ideas that, unfortunately, don't quite mesh, resulting in more noise than coherence. The final track, "Hollow Crown," features Gardener once more, delivering innovative shoegaze with surprising twists.
While "Whitelined" has its inconsistencies, it offers captivating moments, significantly enhanced by Gardener's contributions.
