Song of the Day: Au.Ra - Pyramid

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Pyramid” by Au.Ra from the 2015 album Jane's Lament on Felte.

Au.Ra - Pyramid (MP3)

Hazy, borderline shoegaze textures meet psychedelic pop melodicism in the sprawling, swirling songs of Au.Ra. Au.Ra was conceived over two years ago by Sydney-via-London musicians Tom Crandles and Tim Jenkins, both veterans of various Sydney rock groups, as a recording project. Taking influence from studio-intensive psychedelic rock, the pair recorded for the better part of two years, sporadically releasing singles until early 2015, when plans for their full-length debut, entitled Jane's Lament, and their first Australian live shows were announced. Despite the band's primarily-recording background, "Pyramid" moves and shimmers like track cut live to tape, riding a languid rhythm through a phased-out four minutes. The track's motorik drums serve as a frame for Jenkins and Crandles' textural experiments, sliding in and out of the song seamlessly. There's no predominant melodic hook in the vocals or guitars, but it's a better choice for the song, allowing each layer to hover over the others in time, hypnotically moving along with aqueous allure. Although Au.Ra are emerging during a time when the psychedelic scene in Perth is flourishing, it would be lazy (and incorrect) to compare the two because, as "Pyramids" so deftly shows, Au.Ra owes far more to their shoegaze and indie rock instincts, channeling noise into something otherworldly yet highly accessible.

Au.Ra are playing a pair of album release shows in Australia, with further touring anticipated for later in the year. Keep an eye on their Facebook and Bandcamp pages for any gig or music news, and below, watch the psychedelic video for the Jane's Lament track "Sun".