Album Review: We Are Imaginary – We Are Imaginary

On their self-titled third album, Manila-based We Are Imaginary often look to both the light and dark sides of shoegaze to push the genre’s boundaries.

Right from opening track Pinkish Hue, the band sets their stall out in a fierce and forthright style, showcasing their ability to bring minimalist and maximalist approaches to shoegaze together in one blinding moment of beautiful noise.

And while that theme continues throughout the album, the band also plays with the expectations set up by Pinkish Hue. For instance, Lost In Your Afterglow shifts the focus slightly towards a sound that picks up elements of 90s indie and college rock, the jangle of shoegaze still retaining a noticeable role.

The most obvious comparisons for the album are the early works of Slowdive and Ride, but that doesn’t take into account the wit and emotion of the lyrics and vocals. Like a Ghost, the album’s closing track Stockholm, and the previously mentioned Lost In Your Afterglow have the poetry of Prefab Sprout and Paddy McAloon about them and a delicious nod towards the retro indie pop sounds of the 80s that is a joy to listen to.

The production of Joey Santos and Ahmad Sohiel Tanji sprinkles musical magic throughout the album, so that for all the fond remembrances you might feel for how it sometimes echoes the work of Death Cab for Cutie and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart at their height, the post-genre indie rock modernity of We Are Imaginary makes it an essential listen.

We Are Imaginary is out now via Manila label floppydisks to download on Bandcamp and stream on Spotify. Hit up the band on Instagram for more streaming and download options, and news of a possible vinyl edition of the LP.