I'm ashamed to admit that this song came out of nowhere and blindsided me, but "Heavenly Bodies," the first single from Tamaryn's second full-length, proves that I should have been paying better attention. Tamaryn, a mononymous singer from New Zealand, is one of those artists who blurs the lines between her own identity and that of her performing group (think Danzig, or PJ Harvey on her early albums), as the name Tamaryn could just as easily be thought of as referring to the duo of Tamaryn herself and guitarist Rex John Shelverton. Shelverton is best known, at least in my own personal universe, for his role as the lead guitarist in Portraits Of Past (whom I love). Missing out on a band featuring members of Portraits Of Past? My god, I was really blowing it! Thankfully, Mexican Summer Records, the label that also introduced the world to the brilliant Best Coast, released this video a couple of days ago, and now the scales have fallen from my eyes. So let me get to the point already and tell you about this song.
"Heavenly Bodies" has the same langorous guitar roar that distinguishes much of My Bloody Valentine's work, but features more of a Southwestern twang, which brings in the sleepy desert feel of Mazzy Star. I can hear some Jesus And Mary Chain and Brian Jonestown Massacre in this song as well, from the drummer's frequent use of floor tom and tambourine to the psychedelic haze that hangs over the entire proceedings. In the video, this haze is represented by water, and the rippling surface of a small pond often seems to be superimposed over the blurry, multilayered imagery that is the video's main focus. Shots of Tamaryn, singing into the camera as her hair drips, and Shelverton, shaking his guitar's tremolo bar as he strums, occasionally emerge from the haze, but always disappear within a few seconds. The video doesn't resolve into anything clearcut, and the song doesn't really either at any point, but that's the best part of the psychedelic shoegaze sound of the early 90s, and Tamaryn do a great job of capturing the best elements of that genre without ever seeming like they're rehashing a dated or overdone genre. Tender New Signs, Tamaryn's second full-length album, will be out on October 16 on Mexican Summer Records. You can preorder it HERE. But for now, enjoy this video. Personally, I plan on playing it at least 5 more times before the day is over.