G L /\ S S M /\ P S is a new solo project from London UK based JOEL STEIN, the lead guitarist from Howling Bells — an artist who perpetuates sonic limits in his studio, always hunting for that truly incomparable voice.
GLASSMAPS is all about muscular and bucolic melodies wrapped around accessible chronicles.
Now he brings us his “Summer Rain” — a blues-rock locomotion with sunny swings, a languid chorus and the striking stringiness of surf guitar.
Joel Stein’s long, lonesome vocals reflect on the construction of asking for salvation for ourselves, while blaming others for our own demons.
“It’s about the voice in your head that tells you the things you don’t wanna hear,” Joel explains, “A necessary evil without which we wouldn’t really know who we are.”
‘Summer Rain’ swirls the flattened pitches of wet sentimentality and we find the kind of unconnected, unbound vocal paperings that wouldn’t be out of place on Lennon‘s solo recordings of 1973–1975.
Of course there’s also the vibrating nasal guitar-work that adds a delicate nostalgia to the overall texture.
This is abundant with regret and desire.
‘Summer Rain’ was recorded at the Las Vegas home studio of The Killers’ Mark Stoermer (who plays bass on the track), and is a taste of what is certian to be one of the most compulsive releases the year.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/GlassmapsMusic/
