Sydney’s Au.Ra, a duo composed of Tim Jenkins and Tom Crandles, released their debut album Jane’s Lament on Los Angeles label, felte. Jane’s Lament, a work which carefully envelops the listener in dreamy hues of sound, is streaming in full at Consequence Of Sound and is available now on CD, LP and digitally in felte’s webstore. The 405 premiered the band’s video for “Sun” from Jane’s Lament. The 405 says, “‘Sun’ [inspired by sunshine and Cocteau Twins] gains a rather trippy visual dimension and is a brilliant companion to a song.”
Made over the course of two years, the LP was birthed from improvised jams the pair play over droning guitars and looped drum beats. Tracks like “Sun,” and “Pyramid” emerge slowly out of interplays between simple melodies and layered, reverbed instrumentation. Au.Ra’s “emotive soundscapes” perfectly encase their non-traditional pop songwriting, like on highlight “Morning,” where shimmering guitar riffs transport you to a serene, meditative realm. Their repetitive lyrics belie this easy transcendence, sometimes even verging on incantation. These songs evoke a languid drive along a bending highway in autumn, the scenery and light shifting.