There’s really few better times of the year to listen to Pacific Northwest indie than during the autumn; when the cold mornings are creeping in, the world looks a little more grey and the sun is already becoming a distant memory. Some might seek to escape the encroaching darkness, but for us, we like to lean into the gloomy atmosphere. Luckily, we’ve got the perfect soundtrack in ‘melt’, the official debut single from Victoria, BC three-piece Puddler.
Comprised of Anton Wilson (guitars/vocals), Will Jagger (bass) and Collin Rennie (drums), this Canadian trio seeks to bring back this essential ’90s genre, but it’s not just about replicating the past, as they draw inspiration from modern hyper-pop, shoegaze and indie-rock. As such, ‘melt’ is imbued with a grinding edge of contrast as it brings together dreamy melodies, abrasive guitars, and slacker-worthy percussion.
For the most part, the production is blown-out and distorted, but around the one minute mark, there’s ten seconds of surprising clarity. Like the eye of the storm, where listeners are lulled into a false sense of calm and security, before they’re launched back into the fuzzed-out fray. It’s songwriting choices like this that really makes ‘melt’ stand out as a determined and purposeful debut.
To help give you more insight into this track, drummer Rennie explains some of the sonic architecture: “When I think about melt, I picture the big fills and the explosive moment midway through the track, contrasted against the calmer stretches and more subtle compositional shifts.”
Not only is ‘melt’ an unmissable first impression of Puddler, it’s also a tantalising preview of their forthcoming album, Learning to Dive.
You can also find ‘melt’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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