I am a really big fan of Dean Wareham’s work with Luna, Dean & Britta, as well as his solo albums, but haven’t really taken the time until now to check out his work with Galaxie 500. Galaxie 500 consists of Dean Wareham on guitar, Damon Krukowski on drums, an Naomi Yang on the bass. This is Galaxie 500’s third and final studio album, and I’m really excited to listen to it. According to Wikipedia, the band plays something along the lines of indie rock, dream pop, psychedelic rock, and slowcore. With that, I’m going to jump on into the album.
“Fourth of July” has a slow building start that feels like it’s going to break through to something massive before sidestepping into a bit of a dream pop, rock feeling jam. There’s almost a really nice conversational tone to it. This song feels like it could be picking up speed at any point, but the tempo is kept steady and mellow for the most part. I really dig the bass guitar being featured well in the mix, while some fuzzy rhythm guitar sort of keeps things swirling with the beat of the drums, and that lead guitar really brings some great feeling to the whole track. I really dig the rapid drum beats almost picking up some of the tempo of the song, without the tempo changing. Wow, that electric guitar is absolutely sick in this one. I really dig the vocals and how they’re arranged in this one. This track really is excellent. Oh wow, there was almost a bit of a false ending, where the track almost folded over in a really awesome way, if that makes any sense at all.
“Hearing Voices” immediately has a soothing acoustic feel to it. I really love the wholesome feel of the percussion and the acoustic guitar mixed together. The layers of the vocals give the song an almost dream-like feel to it. It’s almost there are layers to the vocals that peer into the song from another realm. Oh wow, the vocals fade into some percussion and acoustic guitar in a really awesome way. The bass really gives the song an awesome center to move around. Awesome tune.
“Spook” has a sort of almost bluesy, though more so melancholic, feel to it. The bass line has such a great mellowness to it. Wow, the song really almost breaks through to a huge soundscape after a certain point. The way the vocals and drums are arranged in the mix give the song such a giant soundscape, which is filled up quite well by some mellow guitar. Wow, I really love the bass in this one. Oh wow, there’s like something of a string/violin sounding part, that might just be a synth, but it really gives the song a totally new dimension as well. Really sweet composition at the moment. Wow, that guitar gets so tasty at times. I’m super impressed by this album at the moment.
“Summertime” has such an ethereal, almost mystic summer feel to it. The way the guitar and bass play off each other and give to the song is really awesome. The cymbals in the drums section really give this song such a lifting feeling to it. There’s almost a bit of a marching feel to the drums, while the guitar is coming from a dreamland of sorts. Wow, there’s so many textures and layers to the guitar work in this one. This one really does have a great summer time feel to it. Wow, that guitar gets really epic. The entire composition is truly awesome.
“Way Up High” really has a great, ethereal, sort swirling sensation to it with the way the guitar sounds like it swirls around with the steady drum beat, and the bass is underneath that guitar swirling up the song in its own way as well. That flute playing in this one really reminds me a lot of Pink Floyd in a certain way. This song is really awesome.
“Listen, the Snow Is Falling”, originally written by Yoko Ono, has a really beautiful, almost crisp and warm feeling to it with the vocals by Naomi Yang. That percussion work is really interesting to. It indeed sounds like a version that really does justice to the songwriting in the song. There’s definitely an ethereal, dream-like quality to this one. I’m super digging this song, and the album as a whole. Wow, the tune sort of picks up the intensity while keeping that innocence that was created with the intro. Oh wow, that guitar solo is absolutely sick, partially because it’s sort of mixed in at the same volume as the rhythm guitar and drums, and partially because what’s being played is super sick. This is something that makes me want to pick up my guitar and practice. What a wonderful song this has been, wow. This song definitely feels like a journey through ethereal realms. Wow, the way the drums really pick up is awesome. Wow, that guitar solo is front and center and it’s absolutely amazing. That bass keeps the song lifted up in a certain way. Awesome.
“Sorry” definitely has an almost solemn feel to it. I love the tone of the bass guitar, and the way the electric guitar seems to be swirling around about it. The song really has such dream-like feeling to it. I really love the effects that are done with the guitar work – it gives the instrumentation such a unique sound. That bass tone is so bright, I’m really digging it.
“Melt Away” continues with that dream-like quality to it. The drums have such a steady peacefulness to it. That rhythm guitar stirring things up while the lead guitar sort of peers through the ether of the song really gives such a great feeling to it all, and relatively psychedelic as well. The outro to this one is pretty epic with the jam that occurs. Wow, that synth on the outro really adds a great layer to it.
“King of Spain, Part Two” has a really conclusive feel to it, like wrapping a bow on a gift of sorts. There’s a really nice serenity to the whole thing. Wareham’s voice once again feels like it is peering through different dimensions with the textures and way it is arranged in the soundscape. I really love the softness of the cymbals in this one, it almost feels like part of a movie score in that sense. The bass has a really awesome uniqueness to what it’s playing versus what the rhythm guitar is doing, yet they are still playing something similar that makes it feel like the bass is almost making a poignant echo of the rhythm guitar. That lead guitar really has a great feeling to it as well. Really sweet song.
“Here She Comes Now”, originally a song by The Velvet Underground, keeps that spirit of the original, with its own style this time around. The bass and rhythm guitar and drums really form a sturdy platform for the song, with no instrument taking attention away from the other. That lead guitar sort of peers through a different dimension and gives a great attitude to the whole piece. There’s a really nice laid back and relaxed feeling to the lead vocals, and the background vocals really seem to lift the song up to different heights. Wow, I’m really digging this one. I’m pretty sure this was a bonus track on the CD reissue, and wow, it’s super awesome. There’s nothing too technical at all about the guitar in this one, but what’s being played really makes me want to pick up mine and practice. Simply awesome. Wow, when the chorus hits again the song really falls back into place so extremely well, and resolves quite a bit of tension built up.
Wow, I’m definitely a big fan of Galaxie 500 now. I’ll have to check out some more of their music soon. If you’re a fan of any of Dean Wareham’s other bands, or are looking for a unique sort of indie rock band that is more of a psychedelic dream pop rock band, this album may fit your preference well. I’m super into this album, and am sending it along to my music loving friends. If you decide to check out this album, I sincerely hope you enjoy it at least as much as I did.
-A