The name Packaging may connote a cynical mindset about the music industry, but the music that duo Daniel Lyon (Spirit Award) and Daniel “Connor” Birch (Flaural) make is far from cynical. Instead, it’s a passionate merging of elements from their distinct voices: krautrock chug, psychedelic swirl, electronic grandeur, and tuneful accessibility, with a pinch of bristling self-awareness sprinkled on top.
Their debut album, Packaging, is a suite of emotionally resonant songs about disconnection, ennui, and restless movement. Featuring several musical contributors, including Luke Temple (Here We Go Magic), Ash Reiter (Sugar Candy Mountain), James Barone (Beach House), and Andy Rauworth (Gauntlet Hair). The album, like actual packaging, is a tactile experience. From the pulse-pounding rush of “Running Through The Airport” and “In My Pocket” to the woozy melancholia of “Didn’t Wanna Stay” and the quietly devastating “On Holiday,” Lyon and Birch combine their talents in ways that push each other to new emotive heights.
Coral Grief
Seattle’s Coral Grief approaches dream pop with an original sense of momentum and imagination. The trio’s first full length, Air Between Us, is steeped in melodic textures and powerful rhythms, with dynamic songs that bounce between krautrock and 90s indie. Both an ode and a eulogy to the Seattle area, Farr-Morrissey grapples with how her hometown has mutated, not into something better or worse necessarily, just different. The recordings capture the band’s exuberant & spirited live energy, which is balanced with thoughtful and layered production. Across these songs, Coral Grief takes you on a journey. Everything is ready to reveal itself–all you have to do is know where to look.
