by Dan Goldin (@paintingwithdan)
Following a string of great EPs and splits, Richmond’s Added Dimensions released their triumphant debut album, Jane From Preoccupied America. Beyond having a fantastic title (a playful nod to Swell Maps’ classic second album), the record is a brilliant examination at how we pacify ourselves and the blinders we’ve grown accustomed to. Sarah Everton (Telepathic, Blowdryer, Bleeding Rainbow) expands the project’s world while still residing in the realm of lo-fi tape recording, leaning into brighter hooks and harmonies, a garage punk record that plays it loose while also paying attention to the finer details. Joined by longtime collaborator Rob Garcia (Graphic Violets, Telepathic, Bleeding Rainbow) on drums, organs, and engineering duties, the duo crafted an album that rattles by with minimalist blend of disorienting pop and jangly post-punk.
“Flashing On and Off” might be the record’s catchiest song, bouncing on a locked in rhythm with a layer of scratchy fuzz and a melody bright enough to make it shimmer. Everton digs into the kinetic nature of the song’s main guitar riff, winding through hyperspace as she digs into the repetition with her own clean and mesmerizing groove. It’s a ripper at heart, but there’s something about the utilitarian simplicity that seems to play it cool. Today the band share the song’s Sandy Uhrich directed video, equipped with a epilepsy warning as they bring the “Flashing On and Off” sentiment to life, the clip moving in real time with the punchy bass. With a perpetually spinning Everton, a nice house plant, and wandering television sets, the video is a perfect compliment to the song, visually striking while retaining a bent sense of minimalism.
Jane From Preoccupied America is out now via Domestic Departure Records (Neutrals, Divorcer, Collate). Catch Added Dimensions on tour next month with Mesh. All dates below.
Tour Dates:
11/4 - Richmond, VA @ Banditos w/ K9 & B. Reinhardt/Tan White *
11/5 - Washington, DC @ TBD *
11/6 - Philadelphia, PA @ Khyber w/ Webb Chapel & Fake Nudes *
11/7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Hart Bar w/ Guyscrapers & Van Goth *
11/8 - Catskill, NY @ Ralph’s *
11/9 - Westfield, MA @ Hutghi’s w/ Jeanines *
* with Mesh