Freaky Friday Freeview: Dustin Wong

Former Ponytail guitarist releases his sophomore solo album:


DUSTIN WONG
Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads
[Thrill Jockey]

Before actually having a listen to this album, I was intrigued and perplexed by the bizarre cover art and title of Dustin Wong's second solo full-length; it seemed clear that this would be a surreal dream-like concept record, and it is. To compose Dreams Say, View, Create, Shadow Leads, Wong took inspiration from his own dreams and those of his fans, who he asked to send him narrations of their dreams, and Wong built soundscapes "inspired by" these spoken-word dream diaries. The result is an hour-long guitar-pop exploration of multi-layered loops split up into sixteen oddly named pieces, crystalline sounds built around hazy psychedelic fantasies. At times, the tracks gradually flow into one another, other times end abruptly; they have a tendency to warp and shift into obscurity, as dreams usually do. No vocals are necessary here, the guitar says it all, except on the closing track where Wong echoes a few wordless sounds for a sort of grand finale. Somewhere between Brian Eno and Animal Collective, this album hints at psychedelic indie-rock, influenced by Japanese folk, wrapped up in a space capsule or bobbing in the waves miles out in open water. No doubt, this self-taught former Ponytail guitarist has nailed a unique personal style, fueled by loop pedals.

Have a listen to Ice Sheets on Feet Prints and Route Through Eyebrow

For more of this week's new releases check out Other Music update.