DARK NOSTALGIA

DROWNING STEPS, a Brazilian group, hit the headlines last year with their 'Echo of a Distant Past', a sensitive album from the Brazilian project initiated by Caio Claro in 2016 and the entry of Tiago PIERUCCIi. Various progressive atmospheres from the 80's in general on MARILLION, PINK FLOYD, Steve WILSON and POST ROCK à la SIGUR ROS played acoustically during the pandemic, concluding the 2020 album. A short EP with intense sounds that I hurry to translate for you.

"Childhood Shadows" starts on a sound that the BEATLES would not have denied, a gentle rise then a final aerial percussion, a little nod to those used by the archangel GABRIEL on 'The Last Temptation Of Christ'; the sound is hovering, pop, post, meditative. "The Fear Comes Up" and a dark cello to bring Caio's voice, air with basic acoustic guitar, primary atmosphere of the ANATHEMA, then it goes up to some WATERS from 'The Wall' period, a little even from the Ile-de-France region of KWOON for an atmosphere colorful post-rock 60's; the cello does its job by throwing tons of spleen languorous notes with its bow, the minimalist piano adds even more for a melancholic finale at will. "If You Were Not Here" and this Irish flute associated with the cello goes to explore an icy universe filled with nostalgia, ah I just understood the title! in short, a gloomy, melancholy space that can allow us to meditate on this bizarre year, far from the norm; emotion, introspection, wandering here is where we can start. "At Least for Today" continues in the same vein with the successful association of Caio's high voice, I can clearly hear a ballad by Steve WILSON oozing with melancholy, it's short, moving to the point of having only 'a legitimate desire, to dive back into this little EP which deserved much more time to not be just the end of their previous album.

DROWNING STEPS made it simple by offering a fast, too fast EP; however the 4 titles are perfect, concise, printing an intense nostalgic atmosphere, an inventive basic sound on well-placed vocal harmonies. It's short but it's good for plagiarizing a former president; it's filled with acoustic guitar and piano to release sweetness, to rock in fat spleen and to crave