Applesauce Tears
Psychedelic / Atmospheric / Cinematic
RIYL: Black Moth Super Rainbow, AIR, Boards of Canada
So, what do you do when you find yourself unemployable?
You start working for yourself, of course. And if you’re musically inclined?
You start a band.
Duh.
This path is precisely the direction that Applesauce Tears took, around eight years ago. Since these Georgia folks moved from Athens to Atlanta. From there they’ve produced seven records containing their own variety of instrumental psychedelic, atmospheric, and cinematic soundtracks. Fast forward to 2018, and we’re met with their seventh record Pastoral out on their label Black Cottage Records.
The band leaves the urban landscape of their previous offering Commuters, this time taking a psychedelic journey through the country side. Of course, the band continues their sonic exploration into unresolved atmospheres, resulting in a killer instrumental trip worth your ear drums. Commencing with the textural “I’m Gonna Work On Maggie’s Farm Part Time,” the band employs relaxing, gooey synth trips, that are a staple of the rest of the record.
Reminiscent of the ethereal textures heard from contemporaries Black Moth Super Rainbow and the like, the record continues to evolve, ebb and flow with sauntering soundscapes. There are eerie sounds found throughout the record akin to that of Boards of Canada too, especially on songs like “Veronica Lake,” “Foxglove,” and “A Soft Yet Angry Mouth,” just to name a few. Despite these comparisons, Applesauce Tears carve sonic textures all there own.
With a mixture of down-tempo electronic in some passages, and bright, saccharine vibes in others, Craig Bennett, Odette Chartier, Kid Barrington, Sondra Hoode, M. McMick, Tandy Lewis, and Black Street take you on a brilliant adventure you won’t soon forget. That said, if I were to have to name a favorite on the record, I’d say “Have You Met The Meadow” became an instant ear catcher. With some spaced out synth riffs, paired with found sounds, and driving percussion, the mood invoked here is the soundtrack to the coolest of dreams.
Ultimately, if you are willing to explore some tripped out sine waves, Applesauce Tears and their record Pastoral is for you. Oh, and if you think you heard Pink Floyd in the band’s sonic pallete, you weren’t hallucinating. Check out the album closer “You Seem Sorta Down When The Sun Comes Up” for a journey a la PF’s “Setting Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.”
Like what you hear? Check out the rest of their music via Black Cottage Records right here.
