by Charlie Bailey (@hectic-skeptic)
Going into the Nyxy Nyx self-titled record not as a head, not as a fan who is well-versed in the time-bending mysticism of their catalog, they still innately swirl you into their world as if in the first lucid moments before falling asleep.
A follow-up to Cult Classics Vol. I, the band’s first record out via Julia’s War, Self-Titled is what Nyxy Nyx are dubbing as their “most accessible hi-fi recording to date.” Lovingly known as the plastic palace // spider house demos based on the locations where the album was recorded, self-titled is a Side A, Side B record— a collection of six songs undulating through hazy half-narratives and sonic switchups.
Coming on as an even split, this record really is a tale of two halves. Opening with foggy slacker-rock tracks of disquietude, Side B instantly transitions to a turning point with “it’s okay to cry,” a track so dense and crushing that it feels like you're listening to it from the bottom of the ocean; all the pressure crashing down on your ears. This sees the band continuing their collaboration with Midwife’s Madeline Johnston, a slowcore match made in heaven.
Even on the first listen of Self-Titled, there exists this dream-like unfamiliar familiarity, which is a sentiment that I think a lot of listeners will resonate with. They truly are a rabbit hole of a band, which this recording echoes perfectly. It’s as accessible as it is elusive, as fleeting as it is temporal. You grab a hold of a new riff or an idea only to have it slither out of your hand and then have it reappear again. I feel like I pick up something new on every listen as well as remember something I almost forgot. An undulating pyschedelia, Nyxy Nyx’s Self-Titled is seventeen minutes of musical acquiescence.
Dubbed as “thee Nyxy Nyx self-titled record” this album is like wading through the weeds without worry, nothing to jumpscare you except the slow-creeping angst of disillusionment. But the further you dive in, the more you think there might be a chance of redemptive catharsis out there somewhere.