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Premiere:
Faxman - Sleepdays
Faxman - Sleepdays
Today we have been graced with ‘Sleepdays,’ the sleepy, sunburnt second single from spaghetti western crooner Faxman. A slow burning howl of rhythm and blues and neo-psychedelia, it takes vast strides in the right direction from last year’s debut release, proving them a promising outfit to keep an eye on.
Back in June of 2019, Chris Rugge released his debut EP under the moniker Faxman, an erratic and arcane collection of rattling blues songs that sound like Rugge stumbling across an abandoned town, and was greeted by nothing but a tumbleweed. In heed of their upcoming EP The Derealisation, Faxman released their follow up single ‘Roll Over’ in early January, which saw them hitting the studio with a full band, developing that sound into something more closely resembling a Nugget (an Original Artyfact from the First Psychedelic Era, not that of chicken or a precious metal). Dripping with swagger and attitude, but richly crafted nonetheless, with 60s pop hooks and luscious harmonies.
‘Sleepdays’ is the band’s second single from The Derealisation, and it brandishes a wildness more true to their earlier output, while maintaining their newfound sonic richness. It is reminiscent of The Murlocs or Allah-Las, a sound that rattles in the wind and swelters in the sun - you can practically feel the dust rising up around them as that first howl of harmonica tears through the opening. It’s a song that looks to its metaphorical horizons to broaden what was discovered in ‘Roll Over,’ to expand and experiment beyond its luscious voicings into sparse, remote territory. Layers of acoustic guitar picking under a wailing harmonica interplay over the top of a thudding but minimal rhythm section, to conjure an image of an Ennio Morricone fever dream. Rugge’s crooning, lazy drawl rambles on over the top of everything else with an Eastwood-esque coolness that belies his age (and his era). The deserted town he stumbled across in their first EP is now completely repopulated, and the cactus wine and peyote tea are flowing as the people rejoice.
Speaking of the EP, the band say that The Derealisation represents a growth in scale and sound from the solo bedroom efforts of their previous work, building on its lo-fi psychedelic aesthetic with explorations into garage-pop and early rhythm and blues.
If these first two singles are anything to go by, The Derealisation is set to be a fantastic EP and a signifier of great things to come from this band.
‘Sleepdays’ is the band’s second single from The Derealisation, and it brandishes a wildness more true to their earlier output, while maintaining their newfound sonic richness. It is reminiscent of The Murlocs or Allah-Las, a sound that rattles in the wind and swelters in the sun - you can practically feel the dust rising up around them as that first howl of harmonica tears through the opening. It’s a song that looks to its metaphorical horizons to broaden what was discovered in ‘Roll Over,’ to expand and experiment beyond its luscious voicings into sparse, remote territory. Layers of acoustic guitar picking under a wailing harmonica interplay over the top of a thudding but minimal rhythm section, to conjure an image of an Ennio Morricone fever dream. Rugge’s crooning, lazy drawl rambles on over the top of everything else with an Eastwood-esque coolness that belies his age (and his era). The deserted town he stumbled across in their first EP is now completely repopulated, and the cactus wine and peyote tea are flowing as the people rejoice.
Speaking of the EP, the band say that The Derealisation represents a growth in scale and sound from the solo bedroom efforts of their previous work, building on its lo-fi psychedelic aesthetic with explorations into garage-pop and early rhythm and blues.
If these first two singles are anything to go by, The Derealisation is set to be a fantastic EP and a signifier of great things to come from this band.
Check out ‘Sleepdays’ above, and tuck into Faxman's back catalogue down below. The Derealisation is set to drop in early February via emerging record label Dead Family Pets, but in the meantime, stay up to date with Faxman by following their socials below.
