by Julia Leiby (@littleconscious)
Philly-via-Bard experimental slowcore band No Friends create dreamy, hazy music that will lull you into a tranquil place. Following up January 2016’s EP i think we’re alone now, soon they will release a self-titled LP on Philadelphia’s Sleeper Records. “Street Magic” is the second single from this LP and features spooky chiming guitars and singer Jack Barham’s characteristic sleepy-quiet, half-whispered vocals. The song slowly builds to a crescendo as Barham repeats “so I will save all my photographs of you / and I’ll have all the same dreams if you want me to.”
In a chat with Barham, he describes the song as referencing “having recurring dreams and repeating actions and thought patterns,” which made being awake feel like a dream, “where everything is out of reach.” The song is dark and brooding and as Barham sings the listener feels the unrest and disconnection from reality that he’s experiencing. No Friends are masters of unease and disconcerting feelings but in a way that is beautiful and mesmerizing, and the new LP promises to be poignant and emotionally intoxicating.
No Friends' self-titled LP is out later this month on Sleeper Records. Catch the band on tour from July 16th to the 29th.
7/16 - Boston, MA
7/17 - Providence, RI
7/18 - Bloomfield, NJ
7/19 - Philadelphia, PA
7/22 - Knoxville, TN
7/23 - Asheville, NC
7/24 - Atlanta, GA
7/26 - Gainesville, FL
7/28 - Harrisonburg, VA
7/29 - Washington, DC