{"product_id":"kestrels-dream-or-don-t-dream","title":"Kestrels - Dream or Don’t Dream","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelease date: July 10, 2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGenre: Shoegaze, Dreampop\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe now have a special limited edition of 53 hand silkscreened and hand-numbered Tour Variant LPs. Kestrels made an Obi-sleeve for Dream or Don't Dream \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLPs to be sold on their tour as opener for Bob Mould in 2021, however, UPS didn't deliver in time and these were shelved. Chad Kestrels has sent us 53, which he has hand numbered in metallic silver sharpie.   \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLP limited edition of 500: 400 Transparent Blue vinyl LP. 100 Rainbow Splatter vinyl LP (very few left). Gatefold jacket. Download. Mixed\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e by John Agnello and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound. Pressed at \u003cspan\u003eGotta Groove Records. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD, Digital too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn \u003ci\u003eDream or Don’t Dream\u003c\/i\u003e, Halifax’s Kestrels live out a guitar freak’s wildest fantasies. The supercharged shoegaze rockers’ fourth full-length album not only features soaring solos from \u003cstrong\u003eDinosaur Jr’s J Mascis\u003c\/strong\u003e, but spellbinding mixing from \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Agnello\u003c\/strong\u003e (Sonic Youth, Alvvays, Kurt Vile, Cyndi Lauper) and mastering engineer \u003cstrong\u003eGreg Calbi\u003c\/strong\u003e (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Television, Blondie). Together, they constructed a towering devotional to tone with blazing riffs, powerhouse drums, and swooning hooks emerging from an enveloping haze.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eSince 2008, Kestrels has been the primary project of singer\/guitarist Chad Peck, who spends his time offstage as a high school English teacher. For this album he is joined by livewire drummer \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Catano\u003c\/strong\u003e, the driving force between Maritime math-rock bands \u003cstrong\u003eNorth of America\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Plan\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003eThe Holy Shroud\u003c\/strong\u003e, whose credits also include an early stint with Len. Peck’s lulling vocals flash back to influences from My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver, or Built to Spill, while \u003cstrong\u003eNorma MacDonald\u003c\/strong\u003e’s spectral harmonies conjure the sound of a Cocteau Twins\/Beach Boys fantasy jam.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePeck began writing \u003ci\u003eDream or Don’t Dream\u003c\/i\u003e while staying on the couch of his friend, Ash frontman Tim Wheeler. From here, the album’s instrumental scaffolding was laid down throughout a series of studio sessions at \u003cstrong\u003eSteve Albini\u003c\/strong\u003e’s Electrical Audio in Chicago, \u003cstrong\u003eSonelab\u003c\/strong\u003e in Massachusetts, and \u003cstrong\u003eSonic Temple\u003c\/strong\u003e in Halifax. He connected with his guitar hero \u003cstrong\u003eJ Mascis\u003c\/strong\u003e after Kestrels played at a bike shop with Dinosaur Jr. The white-haired wizard of riffs recorded seven different takes for album standout “\u003cspan\u003eGrey and Blue\u003c\/span\u003e,” leaving Peck in the surreal position of compiling a Mascis guitar solo.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe guitarist’s bond with Agnello came even more naturally. These fellow gear heads ran wild, drenching Kestrels’ recordings in phasers, flangers, spring reverb, and the pitch-shifting sounds of a Rainbow Machine. “It’s A Secret” bounces between passages of yearning indie-rock and ambient drift, while “A Way Out” slips downstream from shoegaze into shredding Crazy Horse leads. “Everything Is New” tweaks an octave fuzz effect into disintegrating tones, before the afterburners are truly unleashed on the six-string pyrotechnics of “Feels Like The End.” While utilizing sonic experiments to push these songs into alien territory, one of Peck’s ultimate goals for the album was to keep it sounding “human”, “honest” or in Agnello’s words, “vibey.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I heard some of Kestrels’ influences early on, and they were bands that I really loved too,” says Agnello. “The obvious one was Dinosaur Jr, who I’ve been working with since 1993, so I tried to apply some of the mixing techniques I use on J’s guitar sound. I use a lot of analog pedals and tape delays on all the instruments to give them more warmth and depth than you get with some plug-ins. The idea was to have the guitars jumping out of the speakers without being harsh.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ci\u003eDream or Don’t Dream \u003c\/i\u003etraces a transition in Peck’s life from a low period to one of excitement. Kestrels’ previous 2016 self-titled album was by all means a success, earning critical acclaim from The Fader, Noisey, and BrooklynVegan, charting airplay from CBC Radio 3, KEXP, and the BBC, plus nominations for the ECMA and Music Nova Scotia rock album of the year. However, behind the scenes, Peck’s longtime backing band dissolved, leading to a creative hiatus.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eFocusing on the completion of his Masters degree while scoring podcasts inspired him to turn introspective. Returning to what he does best, Peck began writing lyrics about taking charge of his life, who he wants to be, and facing the reality of those choices and directions.\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eFor anyone paying close attention, he also slips in sly references to novelist David Markson, Virginia Woolf, and the time-traveling finale of \u003ci\u003eTwin Peaks: The Return\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eRendering this reflective song-suite with world-class collaborators, Kestrels have returned with a recharged conviction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Making records is a fundamental part of my life, so I knew I was going to keep going,” Peck concludes. “I’ve learned a lot about writing and recording so I was confident I could make something great. I sort of relished the challenge of being on my own in a lot of ways because I know how I want things to sound. It did make for some long nights in the studio, but felt like a good and important hurdle to cross. I’m ready for the next one.”  -- Jesse Locke\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Vanishing Point\u003cbr\u003e2. \u003cspan\u003eGrey and Blue\u003c\/span\u003e (feat. J Mascis)\u003cbr\u003e3. It's a Secret\u003cbr\u003e4. Don't Dream\u003cbr\u003e5. A Way Out\u003cbr\u003e6. Everything is New\u003cbr\u003e7. Dalloway\u003cbr\u003e8. Keep it Close\u003cbr\u003e9. Feels Like the End\u003cbr\u003e10. Say Less\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Darla","offers":[{"title":"LP (Tour Variant)","offer_id":67994528186644,"sku":"DRL352-1C","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Transparent Clear with Rainbow Splatter vinyl ltd 100 with download)","offer_id":67994528219412,"sku":"DRL352-1A","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Transparent Blue ltd 400 with download)","offer_id":67994528252180,"sku":"DRL352-1B","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":67994528284948,"sku":"DRL352-2","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"mp3","offer_id":67994528317716,"sku":"DRL352-3","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP+LP TEST PRESSING","offer_id":67994528350484,"sku":"DRL352+TEST","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1035\/0284\/0084\/files\/Kestrals_Cover.jpg?v=1793920423","url":"https:\/\/primeunion.shop\/products\/kestrels-dream-or-don-t-dream","provider":"Linden \u0026 Oak","version":"1.0","type":"link"}