Review: Chad VanGaalen - Shrink Dust
[Sub Pop; 2014]
Rating: 7/10
By Garrett Bower, Staff Writer
Key Tracks: “Where Are You?,” “Lila,” “Monster,” “Leaning on Bells”
An infinite number of artists have proposed an infinite amount of interpretations of existence. All arrays of topics seem to have been covered at one point or another through the beautiful and sometimes jarring medium of music. Canadian artist Chad VanGaalen is here to say, “Fuck all that noise,” and take listeners on a woozy trip through worlds entirely his own.
Shrink Dust, VanGaalen’s fifth LP, is on par with the rest of the artist’s expansive work, with tracks ranging from jangly rock riffs to thicker songs that flow out like those last stubborn dregs of cough syrup in the bottle. While the music is strong on its own, to understand the whole picture listeners should check out VanGaalen’s visual work, found in some stunning animated videos for his songs, although tracks from Shrink Dust have yet to receive the same treatment.
“Cut Off My Hands,” the album’s first track, oozes in and feels a lot like being adrift. VanGaalen sings in a higher, almost apathetic tone as a cool synth washes over everything in hypnotic waves, pulling listeners in for the bigger head-trips the record has to offer.
Immediately following is “Where Are You?” which is the first of these very wrenching keystone pieces. Right from the start, it feels like a strong hit with ambient, electronic whirs and a drum cadence that was made for zoned-out head nodding. VanGaalen’s lyrics are at their strongest, bleeding deep into the instrumentation as he echoes, “You float through strange terrain / And feelings focus pain / It comes as slow as anything I’ve seen,” really driving home that feeling of total alienation. Interspersed are wails of “Where are you?” repeated and sounding ever more maddening as the song finally surrenders to the buzzes and hums of space.
On a more stripped-down note is the beautiful and simplistic “Lila” that features some breezy riffs and ghostly whistling, as VanGaalen wistfully sings of a shy, sun-kissed lover. The track allows the vocals to express themselves more, as opposed to many of the other tracks that feel more heady.
“Monster” is a great deal of fun with VanGaalen returning to his more traditionally
manic roots. The track features groovy jangly guitar and even some of that Australian thing that goes “bow-wow” [Editor’s translation: a didgeridoo.]
Right from the start, lyrics seek to give a face to the titular beast. “Ripping my eyelids a little bit wider / Are two prying hands that grew out of my shoulders / And I can’t tell you why but it’s hurting my eyes,” wails VanGaalen of his new, seemingly unwanted form. The chorus howls “I’m a monster!” as VanGaalen goes on to describe in horrific detail his unwilling transformation.
While “Monster” is a little more outright with it, it seems the whole album is about altered states. Chad Vangaalen does an excellent job transporting listeners to different mindsets and altered planes in some of Shrink Dust’s finest moments.
The only real downside would be a few filler tracks that feel like they have promise but seem to come and go without saying much of anything. For music so dense, the 12-track album feels a little exhausting and would have benefited from a few cuts.
However, when VanGaalen hits his mark, the come up is pretty spectacular. The album as a whole demonstrates the artist’s versatility and ability to create what seems like living, breathing expanses within his music. Ultimately, Shrink Dust is a trip worth taking, wherever it may be.
