I first listened to Fazerdaze’s upcoming sophomore LP Soft Power while walking the dogs on a late weekday afternoon. There aren’t dramatic season changes in Los Angeles but around this time of year, as the sun starts setting at 5pm, there can be a quiet chill in the air. The wind tends to move more aggressively while tree clippings and dead grass cover the sidewalks. On these particular November afternoons, melancholy hangs heavy in the air with the results of a contentious election setting the stage for another unprecedented shift in power and emotional climate. Change is everywhere and with that change, I couldn’t think of a better backdrop then Soft Power.
Soft Power exists somewhere in the unsettled static of retrospection and contemplation, as one searches any form of self-compassion as a tool to move forward. The title track, and the first of the album, holds the entire essence of the 11 song opus. This fluttery, mysterious tune drops you right into Fazerdaze’s world as she sings over echoed phrases like, “I’ll find it, my soft power in the dark, I’ll hold the quiet glow.” This track, cinematic and anthemic in its own way, reminds me of a song or two from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
This sort of dark yet lovely feeling of mystery and ambience carries through the entire album.
Fazerdaze (New Zealand’s own Amelia Murray) and her friends have playfully called Soft Power a “bedroom stadium record” and although that is a funny pairing of words, I would have to say I agree here. Once again living up to the title of the album, tracks like “So Easy” are very nonchalant and cool in vocal delivery but have a bass-driven groove that elevates the production and really shows you how big and powerful this sound can feel. I suppose this is truly what I mean by the cinematic feeling it gives me. It’s true on “Cherry Pie” as well, another song that is somehow massive and calm all at once. These songs are simultaneously Sunday afternoon dreams and the biggest dance parties you’ve ever been to. They are bedroom stadium songs.
I have a harder time trying to name specific artist influences I hear on this album but I do hear a range of genres. There’s ambient, fuzz pop on tracks like “Purple,” 80’s dance on “Dancing Years” and “In Blue,” and even a little grunge on “Bigger.” The best part is that despite all of these influences, there is a cohesive sound to the whole thing. It’s Fazerdaze’s sound, yes, but I think more importantly it’s Soft Power’s sound. It’s a great example of branding an album without boring the listener.
And I truly don’t think it could drop at a more perfect time. This is a fall weather record. It’s both comforting and contemplative. And if it leads to more “bedroom stadium” albums in the future – then I am most certainly here for it.
Soft Power is out everyone on November 15th. Listen to the latest singles here:
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