I regrettably missed the boat on the 2017 debut LP from Matsumoto, Nagano’s And Lorelei. In retrospect, it probably would have easily made it into my best of the year list. I’m only about five months late in discovering the band’s follow up EP, “And Lorelei 0.2”, which is yet another showcase of the band’s ability to write stunningly beautiful songs. The best shoegaze song is the one that you can get lost in, and that is just the sort of sound AND LORELEI consistently produces. Whether it’s via the sort of blissed out shoegaze you can hear on “Himitsu”, the slowly-evolving, dreamy haze of “Umarekawaru” or “Abraham”, or the minimalist ambient approach found in “Legi”, “And Lorelei 0.2” is a deeply immersive and emotional listening experience.
Both of AND LORELEI’s releases are currently available on iTunes and Apple Music. The physical release is also available for purchase domestically via TTOS. Here is a video for “Himitsu”.