Spellbound
Chandler Strang’s Orlando based ethereal-pop collective Saskatchewan has been quietly garnering widespread critical attention and acclaim from the blogosphere and mainstream media outlets alike in early 2013, especially after the April 30 release of debut long-player Occasion. Comparisons have already been drawn as wide as early New Order, to the late 80’s/early 90’s melodic vitality of “indie” bands like Wire and Roxy Music. Those are all really coveted comparisons in case you were wondering, or if that was too far of a reach back for our hip readers. Last night, Saskatchewan gave to the world another gift in the form of single, “Spellbound”off of Occasion. It is an ambient, diamond of a track encapsulated in primal emotion, simple but powerful guitar progressions and rife with what has now become one of shoegaze/dream-pop’s most utilized components; a sprinkling of hazy reverb. Saskatchewan’s sound feels like dream-pop that was made for a more typical pop-centric listener, and “Spellbound” falls in line with that description almost perfectly. Give it a listen above and do your cochlear cavities a solid by picking up Occasion out now on Father/Daughter Records.
