(K Records)
I am so thrilled dream pop is back that I can barely keep my damn
eyes open. I am, in fact, face-down, asleep, and dreaming on my laptop
keyboard right now. The reason for all this somnolent bliss is young
Olympia band Desolation Wilderness, whose slow-mo jangle, pillow-soft
vocals (often understated to the point of indecipherability), and
boundless, blurry reverb make Beat Happening sound positively like
Black Flag. But while White Light Strobing may be serious
nod-fodder, it’s far from boring—underneath all the blankets of
echo and studio space, bandleader Nicolaas Zwart lays down some pretty
catchy pop tunes. Just don’t let song titles like “USA Highway,” “Road
Song,” and “Horizon Star” fool you into thinking this will keep you
alert for long stretches of night driving. 