“Happy LoFi of July” offers a sound positively drenched in a hazy summer heat, with St Eriks Street capturing a dreamy chilled-out joy. Tempos go for slowed down gorgeous grooves done with a surreal stretched out style. Melodies too seem to absolutely drift on by in a dazed way for they have a strangely inviting alure to them. Stylistically a whole slew of genres come into the fray, from chillwave’s mellowed-out vibes to shoegaze’s ethereal beauty with a hint of hypnagogic pop thrown in for good measure. Every track nicely plays off the last for the entire album works akin to a weird and wonderful trip.
References abound throughout the whole of the album. For its lo-fi splendor St Eriks Street draws from the lovely optimism of early Washed Out singles, especially “Feel It All Around”. Just like that piece, these songs have a faded nostalgic hue to them. Even the track titles suggest as much as they explore a beachy demeanor. Beyond that, the sort of woozy warbled rhythms recalls Outer Limit Recordings sense of wonder, for the riffs recall some of Sam Mehran’s deft style. Usage of field recordings further helps to set the mood as the composed and the found sound works together in a singular unified way.
Drums introduce the album on a playful note with the loose, jazz-like improvised spirit of “Beach Daze”. Such a sense of peace reigns supreme over the relaxing take of “Sandcastles”. Within this singular approach the entire piece sort of sways back and forth with a lush atmosphere. Easily the highlight of the album it feels positively infectious. Elements of R&B filter through to the reflective “Boardwalk Blues” with glistening tones adding to the overall tenor. Spacious and sprawling “Plastic Ocean” rests in the very heart of the entire album, while various details churn about in a cyclical fashion.
The surf approach of “Campfires” is further highlighted by the usage of waves ebbing and flowing off in the distance. From there the rest of the track slowly builds itself up in a fantastic flow of activity. Layer upon layer is applied with a strong sense of patience. A strut structures “Sunburn” as it unfurls in a J Dilla sort of way, with the beats put front and center of the sound. Nimble melodies skitter about on the optimistic finale of “Express Lanes (Revised)”.
St Eriks Street crafts a fantastically psychedelic sound on the colorfully rich scope of “Happy LoFi of July”.
