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LP
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BBI 026LP
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The Sweetness Restored is the second full-length record from Crystal Eyes, produced and engineered by Andrew Woods (Legal Vertigo, The Operators), co-produced by Basia Bulat and recorded at Breakglass Studios in Montreal. Crystal Eyes are a Canadian indie dream rock band with touchstones of psych, shoegaze, '60s pop and '90s grunge. Led by vocalist/guitarist Erin Jenkins, the band features warm effect-drenched guitar and synth, at times layered or alternately stripped down. Drawing on a vast array of musical influences, landscapes and collaborations, Crystal Eyes have thrived in a diverse and supportive cross-Canadian music scene, honing their live show through multiple tours and as consistent hometown favorites. The Sweetness Restored is a feel-good self-help record for the age of existential dread, featuring a menagerie of musical instruments like the Hammond C3 with Leslie speakers or the Theravox, paired with string quartets, choirs, pianos, synthesizers and many guitars. It features performances from some exceptional Canadian artists, including Scott "Monty" Munroe (Preoccupations), Eve Parker Finley, and even back-up vocals from Basia Bulat. It's mixed by Mark Lawson, a Grammy award-winning engineer and producer who worked on records for Arcade Fire, Peter Gabriel, The Unicorns, and more. You'll definitely hear the band is standing on the shoulders of giants here, with sounds from the '60s, '80s and '90s popping up to be reflected in their shrine-like homage. Driven by memorable melodies and multiple textures, this record is definitely not one palette, but you'll like the postmodern confusion it speaks to. Inspired in equal parts by the streets of Montreal (The Sweetness Restored being a lyrical reference from Leonard Cohen's final album You Want it Darker) to the mountains, forests, and lakes of nature at its most free, there is both a kind of quiet sadness and a frenzied rock n' roll urge that ebbs and flows throughout.
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