"bright days were getting so dull / bled into the night / I wasn't cooking in stone / had a half a knife..."
The darkly drawn ethereal alt synth pop cuts of "Chef's Knife", by universe crafters Reindeer Flotilla, the duo of Los Angeles based Neal Harris (vocals, keys) and Josh Brown (guitar), navigate against the grain, traverse in mysterious ways, feel dreamily askew (yet pretty) and feels both futuristic yet nostalgic. I am appreciating the different electronic shades here and the tonal shifts that had me smiling multiple times and longing for past personal times. It's all about creative choices and layers of sounds that might feel inspired or push touchstone buttons that feel adjacent to new wave, post punk, power pop, space rock, glam, pyschedelic indie, art rock iconographies. Look, I have said many times, hundreds of times over the years that songs are like sonic Rorschach tests that tell us about ourselves way more than about the wonderful artist that hone, craft these aural teleplays. AND maybe this feels even more the case with "Chef's Knife" and, I suspect, the entire EP that it lives within called "Studio City".
You see when "Chef's Knife" starts with machine beats, pearly guitar strains, Harris's magnetic vocal drawl, belly synths, lead guitar screams and this beautiful plucky bass line pushed my brain toward David Bowie's "Scary Monsters" album (1980) but moments later I seeing sonic images of Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club, even The Buggles, Cocteau Twins and ELO with twinges of Duran Duran. Again, could be me seeing what I see (so to speak) but it could be something else I am seeing or hearing, a distillation of two guys who have been inspired by a pretty diverse knowledge / appreciation of music from around the edges, over decades.
Anyway, I am loving this sound that Reindeer Flotilla and contributing cohorts have exorcised. Love it a lot.
-Robb Donker Curtius
The Chicken Wheel will take you to the AP Go Fund Me- and any amount is so appreciated!
https://soundcloud.com/reindeerflotillaband
https://www.instagram.com/reindeerfltlla
https://www.facebook.com/ReindeerFltlla
https://reindeerflotillaband.com
https://reindeerflotilla.bandcamp.com/track/chefs-knife
Reindeer Flotilla are from Los Angeles, CA. Their songs feature dramatic vocals, analog synths and melodic guitars. Sonic influences include Brian Eno, Elliott Smith & Nigel Godrich. Their new EP, Studio City, was released 5.12.26.
The Chicken Wheel will take you to the AP Go Fund Me- and any amount is so appreciated!
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://soundcloud.com/reindeerflotillaband
https://www.instagram.com/reindeerfltlla
https://www.facebook.com/ReindeerFltlla
https://reindeerflotillaband.com
https://reindeerflotilla.bandcamp.com/track/chefs-knife
Reindeer Flotilla are from Los Angeles, CA. Their songs feature dramatic vocals, analog synths and melodic guitars. Sonic influences include Brian Eno, Elliott Smith & Nigel Godrich. Their new EP, Studio City, was released 5.12.26.
Reindeer Flotilla, indie rock, dream pop, alt pop, synthpop, 80's music / 90's music, space rock, vintage synths, genre blending, ethereal darkness, "Chef's Knife", NEW EP "Studio City", two studio albums, Los Angeles duo,
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