Citrus Clouds - Imagination

One thing I love about doing this blog is getting sent music from bands in areas I would probably never find otherwise. We naturally cover the Boston scene pretty well, and cities like New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Nashville, Athens, etc. are always going to be pretty well represented. But West Phoenix, Arizona? I honestly can't think of any Arizona bands. Plus, Arizona shoegaze?

Citrus Clouds are that band. On their new album, Imagination, the band introduce us to this ultra-chill version of shoegaze dubbed "desertgaze." It's pure droned out, melodic pop bliss. It comes across as more of a poppy version of Galaxie 500. A song like "It's You That I Find" borders on repetitive and almost lasts too long, but considering the dreamlike state it brings you to, you won't be complaining. "Shapes and Things" might be the most bouncy song, with a swirling guitar riff and one of my favorite shoegaze guitar solos ever. The title track, "Imagination," might be the best definition of their sound, hinting at aggression but getting sucked into the dreamlike quality of the song.

You can watch the video for "Imagination" below. To get your own copy of the album Imagination go to Citrus Clouds' Bandcamp, and for more info on the band check them out on Facebook.