Candy Claws - Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time (Album Review)

 

Candy Claws - Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time

(2013/2014)

My copy: 2014 first pressing by Twosyllable Records

As far as 2010s shoegaze music goes, Ceres and Calypso is one of the best. Candy Claws had refined their dense, obscured sound down into a concentrated form with Ceres, and the band borrowed the best elements from their prior albums while shaking off the chaff. It is worth noting that Ceres is a highly conceptual record, the back of the record sleeve explains the storyline of the lyrics and the main characters. Ceres is a white seal that can control time while Calypso is a young girl who ends up on a journey through the past with Ceres. “The Deep Time” is also credited as a character and I’ve always interpreted it as the metaphysical representation of the character’s journey (but who really knows, man). 

If you don’t care about the conceptual gimmicks then fear not, this record is a fully realized, dense piece of modern electronic shoegaze with a unique sound that will blow you away on first listen. “Into the Deep Time” kicks us off with churning distorted bass that marches us alongside the ethereal vocals provided by Karen Hover. Ceres features an interesting detail in that the lyrics were actually originally written as poems by Jenn Morea (Thus the double titles for each track) and then adapted for the songs by Karen and Ryan Hover. If you hate obscured and unintelligible lyrics then this is not the record for you. I personally have never had an issue with not understanding a singer, but having the lyrics pulled up does enhance the conceptual feeling of this album.

The album is laden with very groovy and danceable tracks that bounce and pop; “White Seal,” “Pangea Girls,” “Illusion” are the most reflective of this. The bass switches from ultra heavy distortion machine to smooth, and the main melodies largely come from either effect-coated guitars or synths. Ceres has a very specific production style - one that is bordering on lo-fi so as to give the songs an ephemeral, noisy shoegaze tone. The production is a double-edged sword; sometimes the melodies are thrown to the wayside a bit too much, and the album can feel like it’s afraid of making a statement. Times where melodies are allowed to really shine (“New Forest,” “Birth of the Flower”) are some of the highest points of the album.

The vocals are whispered and often there is interplay between female and male vocals which create a nice dynamic. The band often plays with silence right before the chorus of a song, which really draws attention but becomes a bit stale as they use this trick three or four times. Candy Claws make use of interesting, thin-sounding bone-like percussion that helps to place the listener into the shoes of the characters. Some songs are lullabies (“Fell in Love”) and others are almost spooky (“Charade”). “Charade” is a sinister waltz that stands out. 

The band plays with sampled drums on “Night Ela” which helps the track stand out, but the core issue of the record is still that a lot of the production blends together. Ceres and Calypso is, despite some flaws, an amazing modern take on electronic influenced shoegaze music, with a unique style and some really amazing synth/guitar tones. If you enjoy shimmering, distorted and groovy shoegaze combined with hushed, soothing vocals then you need to check this record out. 

    Candy Claws has now become a new-ish band called Sound of Ceres, which is also worth checking out for it's sharper production style.

My copy runs for over $100 right now, but there are other versions available and there will likely be a reissue for the ten year anniversary in June.