Aversionline – October 2023 review:
Skymender - If And Only 12" LP
Fuzzy chords and textures create a dense base for shimmery melodies and dreamy dual vocals mixed barely ahead of the instruments… nicely done.
Full Review:
“I’ve actually had a few different sources hit me up about the debut full-length from Washington, D.C.’s Skymender in recent weeks, and coincidentally it’s quite a good fit to follow Guest Directors herein. Self-described as “shoegaze-adjacent,” the quintet does indeed possess ‘gaze-like characteristics, and not to the point of what I would truly call shoegaze. Fuzzy chords and textures create a dense base for shimmery melodies and dreamy dual vocals mixed barely ahead of the instruments—engineered and mixed by J. Robbins, you know it sounds quite nice. The compositions are a little more mid-paced and subtly energetic than most of this niche, too, which I appreciate very much as it not only separates their take from the herd, but is simply more enjoyable to listen to than a wide swath of comparable artists who can tend to be overly reliant on borderline dull pacing. Nicely done.”