Posted on: September 27, 2017 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Long after the media and major labels finally left Seattle alone, the music scene there continued to flourish without the spotlight, branching out from the one or two assigned genres they were shouldered with thanks to lazy journalism. The result is a slew of amazing, inventive bands that still call Seattle home. And among them is Ephrata.

Though together since 2012, this self-titled LP marks their debut. Aside from a tepid opening track (still a sloid song, but it belies the energy that follows), the album is a fantastically brilliant mix of dream-pop and ‘90s alt rock. From the solid drumming and harmonies on “Tunguska,” the dreamy vocals on “Breakers,” to the jangly guitars on “Pharaoh,” the band moves seamlessly from one sound to the next, never sticking with one formula long enough to get stale.

All the cliched descriptors of a dream pop band are still applicable here: “lush,” “soaring,” “beautiful,” etc. But more impressive, Ephrata manages to represent so much more with just this one record.

Ephrata – Ephrata/11 tracks/Dessert Records/2017 / http://www.ephrataband.com/

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