Letting Up Despite Great Faults – Corners Pressed (2021)
If you enjoy the sounds of No Vacation, Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Wild Nothing, it is likely you’ll enjoy the sound of Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Approximately one decade ago, singer-songwriter Mike Lee met bassist Ken Zambrana via Craigslist to form a band. Once they moved to Austin, Texas, Daniel Schmidt (drums) and Annah Fisette (guitar, keys and vocals) rounded off the indie-pop meets dream-pop quintet. Featured on NPR, Pitchfork, Brooklyn Vegan, Sinusoidal Music, Mystic Sons and various radio stations, Letting Up Despite Great Faults is building a loyal following across the globe. The latest addition to their critically acclaimed discography is ‘Corners Pressed’.
Following the dreamy single ‘Gemini’ (read our review here), ‘Corners Pressed’ embraces the synth-pop sounds of the 1980ss reminding me slightly of Depeche Mode and Erasure but adding a contemporary dream-pop sound to the melody. This ability to incorporate yesteryear’s synths with modern-day shoegaze only showcases Lett Up Despite Great Faults versatility and innovativeness as artists. Now, looking beyond categories and comparisons, let’s delve deeper into ‘Corners Pressed’.
As I mentioned, there is a dip into the past in ‘Corners Pressed’ which can align with the concept of the song. The band shares that ‘Corners Pressed’ is “…how you remember your past. The same events have a way to play differently in the way different people remember them. Sometimes our memories have a way to carry themselves heavier than they really should be. Reality becomes skewed into how we remember it and our memories become our guide, whether they are real or not.” The nostalgic reflection is heard in the hazy ambience, but the depth of the track is noted in their poetic lyricism.
A melodic track, there is a soothing flow to the song, but it is accompanied by an otherworldly haunting. Fisette’s ethereal vocals create a wistfulness that tosses you into a foggy forest of sound in which you can easily become lost. Yet, their whimsical vocals also act as a guide or anchor in the cinematic soundscape making you feel both calm and fearful. Sentimental, sincere and sensitive, there is a genuineness in ‘Corners Pressed’ completely unique to Letting Up Despite Great Faults. This is the second single off their upcoming EP IV, and I really cannot wait to hear more of the band’s material.
For more from Letting Up Despite Great Faults check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
