Debuting out of the Sydney underground comes the ethereal shoegaze/dream-pop band known as Eternal Dust and their debut full length Spiritual Healers, Defence Lawyers. Coming off of their previous self titled demo, they continue on the noisy and dreamy sounds they’ve conjured up on the previous release. This is a strong debut, with some solid hitting tracks that sweep the listener away into their mystical dreamscapes.
This album slowly lulls you into its hypnotic trance with some very well written soundscapes. Guitars that swell up like a smoky bubble and burst out into hazy walls of noise, a groovy bass that keeps the listener firmly planted on the ground, while hazy vocals try to lift you up high off the ground in its seductive approach. What I like about this band in particular, as opposed to others who are apart of this new wave of dream-pop from the past recent years, is that they don’t just try to copy what has already been done, but really plant their own voice into the music it self. While one can nit-pick and point out the influences from Sonic Youth, Slowdive, and other alternative 90s rock, there’s something more modern and approachable with Eternal Dust. Much like a dream, their sound is familiar and nostalgic, yet unique and at times rather off-putting for those who are die-hard fans of the genre. To me personally, this is a huge bonus, and an overall nice touch to the album that helps it stand out more.
The album as a whole is rather easy listening, something I feel is more fitted to put on as a nice atmospheric touch to any get together. Which makes sense given that the band is known for their, ‘immersive’ live shows as the album text puts it. It would be easy to see how an album with this kind of sound live can really capture the listener especially for those more wall of sound and atmospheric tracks off the album like the chorus on the fifth track Absinthe or the hazy vocal echos on the seventh track Seventeen. This would certainly be a band I’d love to experience live, and would possibly add onto the studio release of this album as a whole.
I have been obsessed with this album since I heard the first track. From the band’s DIY approach and strange yet charming aesthetic, it has everything that made me fall in love with underground music in the first place. Definitely check this out for fans of a more laid back, atmospheric goth rock sound with a modern bent to it. You won’t be disappointed.