by Louis Pelingen (@Ruke256)
More Eaze & claire rousay’s catalogue is built upon a friendship that finds the cheery things in life. Despite focusing more on their own projects, they still find the time to make something together. It leads into a collaborative process where, amidst the abstraction of their works, there is a loose direction that keeps their sound designs alive, from the ambient field recordings of An Afternoon Whine to the hyperpop ditties of Never Stop Texting Me and a crying poem. There’s a gentle presence to their collaborations that lets things breathe, never taking things so blunt that it could shrill the soft spirit of their releases.
no floor, in comparison, is a deep-seated ponder. It’s a much moodier conversation that could take place in desolate Texas bars—locational inspiration from More Eaze & claire rousay that brings an emotionally honest tone to these somber scenes, where the dialogue doesn’t need to be spoken, but felt through soundscapes more linked to Americana. “Hopfields” and “the applebees outside kalamazoo, michigan” bring those Americana textures a sense of density. The former song’s guitar recording gradually fades into these hushed lo-fi horns and synths, and the latter uses the woozy horns to direct into an ephemeral direction, one where the blends of pedal steel, glitch, and glistening ambience create a dreamy murmur amidst such pensive moments.
The use of glitch, as much as it can be blaring, adds to the thoughtful musing of this album. It’s not exactly a distraction to all the solemn haze, but it adds a stinging emotion to it, formulating a stronger connection to More Eaze & claire rousay’s bond rather than dissipating it. The weeping layers of strings, pedal steel, and guitars on “limelight, illegally” are shackled amidst the blasts of noise spilling across the song, creating a melancholic thought where aching memories are passing through more than once.
“lowcountry” is a stirring closer that ends no floor with an emotionally touching moment. Amidst all the glitch shuffling in, the swells of violins only keep sounding louder and more heartfelt, ignoring the pang sweeping around it. It represents a deeper understanding of More Eaze & claire rousay’s tight-knit bond as collaborators. Even when faced with vulnerable conversations, they leave things off with a graceful note, lifting their closeness throughout vivid spaces they could only shape.