LA-based Death Valley Girls have revealed the details of their new album; it’s called Under The Spell of Joy and will be released on October 2 through Suicide Squeeze. The announcement comes along with a new track called “The Universe”, and they introduce the album and the song by saying:
“‘Under the Spell of Joy’ is a space-gospel record. We believe we served as channels for what we think are guides. As we learn what the songs are about we realize they are meant to be sang like chants, hymns, or spells. Most of the songs were recorded with 12 voices, including a kids choir! We are learning that words with intention and energy hold so much power, especially when said or sang with a group. ‘The Universe’ is a song to sing, a space to be, a time to think, remember, and truly feel that not only are we all connected, but we are also being guided.”
Space-gospel is a genre that has largely been forged by Spiritualized, and there are certainly reflections of the Brits’ ascendant and god-fearing sound on “The Universe” – but there’s also plenty of Death Valley Girls’ LA grime. “The Universe” picks up mid-organ churn, immediately putting us in a position of weightlessness, and they only continue to float us upwards as sax and keys add their melodies. “Everybody is everybody else / nobody is by themselves,” begins Bonnie Bloomgarden, with equal parts love and fear, really examining this deep universal truth. Death Valley Girls continue to pull us deeper into their psychedelic cyclone with choral voices and caressing washes of sound. While “The Universe” never forces its way into your mind, you’ll soon find your mind numbed with amorous and colourful feeling as it makes its majestic rise.
Death Valley Girls’ new album Under The Spell of Joy is out via Suicide Squeeze on October 2. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Bandcamp.
