The EP can be per-ordered at:
http://www.midheaven.com/item/st-by-light-fantastic-12
When we first met
the man behind Light Fantastic,
Terry Sowers was singing harmonies and playing guitar in
the Farmer Dave Scher band. His introduction to the stage was
a diving-head-first experience, playing alongside one of his
musical heroes as support for acts like Jenny and Johnny and Conor
Oberst.
However, Sowers was
also sitting on a treasure chest of his own songs, fine-tuning a sound he’d developed
for years, mostly alone, in his Victorian apartment in San
Francisco. Teaming up with Jeremy Bringetto (Vue,
Bellavista, Tamaryn), the two worked this set of bedroom pop sketches into
what can be described as a modern take on California -- as
much Southern California as an expression of the Bay Area.
This dreamy, surfy shoegaze views an age of innocence through the idyllic
lens of reflection and personal nostalgia, like the
pure, happy memories of a long-lost love. It’s no surprise that
the songs’ author hails from the hot suburbs of Los Angeles and that
his compositions string together a sincere sense of personal
displacement and longing for home. When
Sowers and Bringetto brought their song ideas to Rex
Shelverton, who was in the midst of producing Tamaryn’s
latest album, a strange but harmonious union was
born of light and dark. Shelverton’s homegrown
version of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound was the perfect complement
to songs that evoked Laurel Canyon, Carol Kaye and mid-’60s Brian Wilson
California optimism.
The Light
Fantastic EP is sunny, hopeful and
dreamy, and even in its darkest moments, aims to uplift and offer good
company. Though only four songs, it delves deep to tell the story of a
protagonist’s journey through the seasons of life. As the complex opening keys
of “Falling Through” fade in, it’s as if the sun is about to break through a
thin layer of fog. And it does, as the rest of the band triumphantly kicks in
with a set of pained and
lovelorn tunes that channel Chris Bell and Alex Chilton via
Jan and Dean -- a power pop delight as
seen through the eyes of surf-crazed coastal dwellers.
The EP closes with the sleepy, slow burn soul ballad of Skip Spence's "All
Come to Meet Her", a song from Spence's infamous solo album Oar.
The 12" EP is being released digitally and physically in a limited edition pressing of 500 copies.
The 12" EP is being released digitally and physically in a limited edition pressing of 500 copies.
