Head to Vinyl Loop to purchase Chad VanGaalen’s new album Shrink Dust for a great deal that includes a free poster.
On latest album Shrink Dust Canadian Chad VanGaalen impressed me with how effortlessly he is able to take various sounds and genres and turn it into something that is remarkable and truthfully him.
Sitting at 12 tracks, Shrink Dust packs a punch well versed in deep imagery and often haunting lyrics. Even so, VanGaalen is so successful at conveying his thoughts because he is able to do so in refreshing fashion each time around.
“Where Are You?” stars with a fuzzy hammer-strike, working in electronic wooshes as if it was nothing. He then takes you on a dreamy, dark, chilly vibe in the more than appropriately titled “Frozen Paradise.” Then there’s “Monster” which could be mistaken for something done by Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips with a smog-like sounding effect battling the strike of his acoustic guitar.
Although I appreciate all the experimentation and chance-taking that VanGaalen departs towards, some of my favorite moments off Shrink Dust are the more refrained, folk-inspired offerings. Take the “Lila” a dreamy, old-school track sounding like some lost classic from the 60’s. Then there’s “Hangman’s Son” an instant folk classic that is the album highlight for me. Album closer “Cosmic Destroyer” is soaked in Americana influences, sounding like a proper departure on the last train home.
What you have with Shrink Dust is a well-rounded and fairly diverse record that just may be his finest work yet. It’s not easy to take a hold of a certain genre and spin it in a way that’s both freshly unique and true to oneself. Somehow, VanGaalen makes it all seem easy. It’s the sign of a talented artist, one that we’re lucky to have.
As a fan of vinyl, you owe it to yourself to grab a copy of Shrink Dust on vinyl right now, on sale with a free poster from Vinyl Loop.
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