Review: Glorybots — ‘Dark Alien Pop’
Glorybots is the solo project of Seattle based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jalal Andre. You may recognize him as the frontman for indie rockers Echo Texture or as your local neuroradiologist, whatever that is! Recently Andre founded Glorybots as an escape to the outer fringes of the music world, “a crazy-cool universe where aliens land while listening to OK Computer, meet Nine Inch Nails and Muse in a back alley, a fight breaks out and it’s all captured on video.” Dark Alien Pop is a 50 minute psychedelic/electronic/pop dreamscape through that very universe.
Dark Alien Pop’s lead single “Dream About Nothing” is an ode to the innocuous and banal rut millions of people fall into everyday, more concerned with simply feeding themselves (perhaps over feeding) than actualizing their dreams and living their best life. The “do do do doo’s” in the hook aren’t just pop jingles but actual commands! The song’s driving beat and melodic bassline are energizing and provide that extra sizzle needed to make your dreams come true and get you to finish whatever it is that’s holding you back. (Like finishing album reviews…)
A quick scan of Glorybot’s Twitter takes you to retweets from Don Farwell, owner of West Seattle’s Earwig Studios. Don boasts of various studio adventures with the Glorybots and playing left field instruments like “throwing silverware on the floor.” The Third track “Syzygy” is filled with dense instrumentation that leaves the listener intrigued and possibly guessing what all is going on beneath the layers and layers of guitars and synths. “Syzygy” brings to mind WIXIW era Liars, Muse and Radiohead’s heavier side while also demonstrating Andre’s lyrical ability.
“Le Monde” is the calming and reflective psych ballad that ties all great prog/electronic/synth rock odyssey’s together. A heavily reverbed, echoed, gothic vocal haunts above scant guitar and mounting and ebbing instrumentation before reaching an arpeggio plucked breakdown that brings The Verve and 90’s era Brit Rock to mind. The song crescendos to a sudden respite, allowing the reverb and delay to settle and bring the listener back to earth.
What is an epic psych rock journey without an anthem ready closer? “World Of Curls” rounds out this cerebral alien adventure with the most structured and linear song on the album. The song seems to fade out just as mysteriously as it began. The whole album in fact goes by in a seemingly instant flash of intricate catchiness, wholesome new wave pop and extra terrestrial presence.
Dark Alien Pop is set to land within the atmosphere fall of 2018. It has already gotten quite a buzz amongst the online listening community and is projected to take the indie music world by storm. Be sure to check out Glorybots’ debut single via soundcloud below, get more info about the project at the website, and stay tuned for the release of this masterpiece.