A far cry from the typical Moonlight Cypress Archetypes release, Blake Edward Conley who goes by Droneroom brings us the latest release under that name, Easy Payday, which is also a far cry from his typical releases as well. For those who haven’t heard his previous works, they’re typically a twangy, western style guitar playing with heavy distortion and great use of sweeping soundscapes and heady production. On this release however, paring with the incredibly production and mix/mastering from Skin Tension’s own Josh Byrd, there’s a stripped back and ethereal approach with deep, sweeping sounds with some heavy textures, its easy to be immersed in this dreamlike album.
There’s something particularly haunting about this album. The droning productions and the twinkling of Blake’s guitar strewn about creates a sound that can only be considered dreamlike. These long repeating patterns drag you into a world that is certainly foreign to ours and feels like a darker-side to his usual output. The patterns created are there but also aren’t. To me, its almost like my brain was creating unknown melodies from the dense walls of sound at hand. There are also these moments where Josh’s production reworks some of the guitar pieces and other ambient noises into certain patterns that get you hypnotized. Especially on the track a little lighter, which is the shortest off the album. The fleeting guitar twangs pulsating in and out along side the ethereal droning is almost addicting to listen to. I’ve found my self repeating this track many times.
This isn’t your traditional album, and many casual listeners out there might find this off-putting. But for those who are more inclined to listen to rather experimental stuff, this right here is an incredible expression of sound and feels rather intimate yet humble. A peek into the hazy and noisy mind of Blake Edward Conley for sure. The last track however, is a true crescendo. Josh’s iconic drum playing along side Blake’s wailing guitar riffs are a pair that I didn’t know I needed to hear in my life. The title of the track porter rockwell is a 27 minute opus of pure sound. Having this mysterious noir like atmosphere with the hellish and frantic drumming really helps sparks the imagination and drags you deeper into its hazy underbelly.
Its hard to put into words how this album really makes me feel. Its less of an album and more of an experience. I’d wager that to each person this album would be something different, not up to a solid interpretation or a true review, but something that should be shared and heard by those who are willing to place their preconceived notions of what music is aside and embrace the drone. I’ve found Easy Payday to be an enlightening experience, and had me go down the droneroom rabbit hole, giving a listen to the improvised back catalog of Blake and the massive progression he’s achieved in his sound. Something different each time and this time, it certainly hits the nail on the head. A perfect addition to the Moonlight Archetypes.