by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Best known as one third of Seattle’s Dreamdecay, Justin R. Cruz Gallego aka J.R.C.G., is stepping out on his own with a solo debut. Due out November 8th via the always great Castle Face Records (Oh Sees, Nolan Potter, EXEK), Gallego uses the opportunity to widen the experimental pallet previously explored by his band, starting with a hypnotic punk template and wandering from there into shoegaze, no wave, and mesmerizing krautrock territory. The record, Ajo Sunshine, is a dynamic listen, one steeped in elastic boundaries, forever expanding, forever traversing. Despite J.R.C.G.’s penchant for experimentation however, the album is surprisingly accessible, full of minimalist dirge and dissonant melodies that actually do lend to subtle hooks and refrains.
“Rainbow,” the record’s second single (following the excellent “Holy Hope”) is a kaleidoscope of tonal intensity, pushed by pounding drums and quickly matched with an impenetrable wall of swarming guitar obliteration. Gallego’s vocals feel grounded over the thick distortion, and just as the sonic swelter is established, it’s peeled back into a surreal futuristic plateau of space-age jazz, and demolished once again. There’s so much texture in “Rainbow,” a song that feels compressed with menace but driven forward with brute force and a motorik focus.
Tour Dates (billed as Dreamdecay Music Group):
11/04 - Reno, NV @ Holland Project
11/05 - Oakland, CA @ Elbo Room
11/06 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
11/08 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile (Basement)
11/ 11 - Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar w/ The Body
11/12 - Seattle, WA @ The Clockout
11/14 - Victoria, BC @ Quadratic Sound