Step into the dim glow of a downtown coffee shop where the aroma of clove cigarettes lingers, and let Unreal's new single, "Dead Eyes," envelop you. This track is a complete transportive experience back to those rebellious high school days of endless coffee refills and watchful baristas…I don’t know what they’re saying- my discman is too loud. “Just give me more coffee, please.” That’s a moment in time, and Unreal took me back there. Released as the first taste of their upcoming debut album, "Dead Eyes" marks a poignant moment for the Portland, Oregon band, setting the stage for their anticipated full-length exploration.
Lyrics like "Standing in the doorway, too late to get a ride back home," the song captures a universal feeling of lingering too long in a moment, of being caught between staying and leaving, trading coffee shops for bars….empty days for wasted nights. “As soon as tonight ends I’m done with this/Always embarrassed by the state I’m in/How did I become such a petty thing”Been there, friends.
The trio—Trevor Oatts, Garrett Shumaker, and Jake McLoud—craft a sound that's as nostalgic as it is fresh. Blending heavy new wave vibes with Midwest emo sensibilities, they evoke a musical hybrid akin to Cap’n Jazz meets The Cure. The single, released today, promises that the album, due on September 11, will delve deeper into this rich sonic landscape…at least, it better.
Mixed and mastered with precision by Stephen Pettyjohn at Ethereal Mastering, "Dead Eyes" boasts a soundscape where thumping bass lines, driving drums, and jangling guitars create a backdrop for introspective lyrics. Synths, played by Mark Daniloff, weave throughout the track, adding layers of emotional depth and complexity. The song does more than just sound good—it feels like a moment relived, a memory recast in the light of the present.
While a few EPs are already available, "Dead Eyes" feels not just like a reintroduction to Unreal's music but also a declaration of their upcoming album's impending impact. With this debut, they invite listeners on a journey that promises to be as introspective as it is exhilarating. The track is a gateway, not just to a new musical offering, but to a place both familiar and thrillingly unknown.
Unreal’s Self-titled debut is due September 11, 2024 with release parties planned for both Portland and Seattle.
Check it out
Here’s the tracklist:
1. Dead Eyes
2. Every Minute Matters
3. Spiders
4. Shrine
5. Red Line Season
6. Heart Attack
7. Sleepwalker
8. Pretend
9. Ballpoint Pen
10. Jungle Gardenia
11. Skin Crawler