Kestrels and their new single “Vanishing Point”, out today through Darla Records. It’s the second single from their new record Dream or Don’t Dream, following the J Mascis collaboration “Grey and Blue”, which led Guitar World to declare “this sprightly ’90s-inspired outfit might just be your new favorite power-pop band.”
Kestrels are a fuzzy, reverb drenched power-pop band from Halifax, Nova Scotia who excel at crafting huge sounding songs with big hooks and ripping riffs. Ostensibly a pop record filtered through classic mid 90’s indie rock, Dream or Don’t Dream is Kestrels’ follow-up to their self-titled 2016 record which was praised by places like The FADER, VICE, BrooklynVegan, KEXP, the BBC and more. “Vanishing Point” is the album opener and a perfect example of Kestrels’ brand of bounding shoegaze, a crushing and captivating track about recognizing a relationship is ending and the unease that comes with the undeniable, inevitable feeling of collapse.
Largely written on the sofa of Ash’s Tim Wheeler, and recorded with John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Alvvays, Kurt Vile, Cyndi Lauper), Dream or Don’t Dream is a vulnerable and open record, focusing on life’s insecurities and being totally honest about one’s flaws. Recorded mostly to tape and using over 100 guitar pedals and mainly vintage and boutique gear, the album is nostalgic and soaring, with plenty of nods to Superchunk, My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr.
Dream or Don’t Dream will be released on July 10, 2020, via Darla Records. You can pre-order it here.
On Dream or Don’t Dream, Halifax’s Kestrels live out a guitar freak’s wildest fantasies. The supercharged shoegaze rockers’ fourth full-length album not only features soaring solos from Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis, but spellbinding mixing from John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Alvvays, Kurt Vile, Cyndi Lauper) and mastering engineer Greg Calbi (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Television, Blondie). Together, they constructed a towering devotional to tone with blazing riffs, powerhouse drums, and swooning hooks emerging from an enveloping haze.
