Pencey Sloe - Neglect (2022)

Pencey Sloe are based in Paris and they create particularly moody dream pop/rock music. Their second album is called Neglect and was released last summer; right in time to provide us with some of the oneiric tunes for this autumn.

The music here is right on the "path of cinematic soundscapes and beautiful psychedelic colours" as it's stated on the band's Bandcamp page. The focus is certainly put on creating the engaging and thick atmosphere of melancholy and mystery, and it's only the artists' skill that makes it possible to balance it with Diane Pellotieri's beautifully dreamy vocals. Especially tricky since she, as the song-writer, deals here with a heavy theme of self-consciousness and the most existential question of "who am I?" - not so easy to wear it with catchy melodies. There's also more nuance to the album than simply tagging it as dream pop as there are parts that are simply pieces of atmospheric post-rock/instrumental ambient (beautiful Sigh).

Probably the most surprising thing about this album, though, are the guest musicians from the highest world level of... metal music. That's right, two parts of The Run feature Alcest's Neige and Jesu's Justin Broadrick, but I must say that they don't add much to the album. I feel like Pelloteri's vocals and the band's heavier dream pop tunes are right where they should be on their own.

Neglect costs 6.99 USD.

Check: Inner

Country: France

Genre: atmospheric dream pop

Label: Prophecy Productions

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