Flatwaves, the Philadelphia quartet, storms back onto the scene with their sophomore LP, ‘Tell Me Secrets,’ a record that rips open new sonic landscapes while still retaining the band’s signature hallucinatory vibe.

A 40-minute escape from the mundane. Abandon Everything Records, once again, brings this beast to light, following up the “psychedelic wasteland” of their 2022 debut, ‘Numbra.’

From the first distorted chord, it is clear Flatwaves has dug deeper into their sound. They built upon the moody atmosphere of ‘Numbra,’ yet they have undeniably pushed their songwriting further, exploring the vast expanse of their influences. This band, after all, draws from so many points of inspiration, making each track a journey into the unexpected. Recording at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the band leaned a bit harder into their rock and roll bop DNA. All the while, they clung to their love for surreal, dream-soaked narratives that feel like they stumbled out of a David Lynch dream, all wrapped in a haze of fuzzed-out guitars that stay dark, weighty, and massive.

A significant step in their creative process was the pre-production phase. Flatwaves had a couple of days of pre-production, a first for them, where they live recorded their songs and tweaked things, sometimes heavily, before committing to the final takes. Justin Bartlett, who engineered this record, provided invaluable feedback, transforming the entire process into a truly collaborative effort. This dedication to refinement shines through every track.

Lyrically, ‘Tell Me Secrets’ navigates the treacherous waters between the tangible and hmm, something else. These songs are sometimes rooted in real life, sometimes born of the ethereal, but they all stem from Flatwaves’ reality, or more accurately, their attempts to escape what we call consensus reality. Take ‘Paloma’ for example; it is a manifestation of fate for a common scoundrel. Conversely, ‘Core,’ a powerful cover penned by Tara’s friend, Atlantis Black, features lyrics that evoke the intoxicating pull of an obsessive dream world, drawing the listener into its hypnotic depths.

<a href="https://flatwaves.bandcamp.com/album/tell-me-secrets">Tell Me Secrets by Flatwaves</a>

‘Tell Me Secrets’ will mix your dreams with your reality, to abandon the everyday, and perhaps, to get the hell out of here, if only for about 40 minutes. This record is a delightful showcase of the band’s unique amalgam of 90s shoegaze haze, mixed with the energy of slacker rock.

Oh, and please adore the absolutely stunning album artwork. It’s works perfectly.

Flatwaves Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
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