Today Los Angeles dystopian punk/occult glam rockers Death Valley Girls announce their new album Under the Spell of Joy is set for release Oct 2nd via Suicide Squeeze Records and the band are sharing their new single from the record ‘The Universe’ now.
Speaking about the track, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Bonnie Bloomgarden said “Under the Spell of Joy is a space-gospel record. We believe we served as channels for what we think are guides. As we learn what the songs are about we realize they are meant to be sang like chants, hymns, or spells. Most of the songs were recorded with 12 voices, including a kids choir! We are learning that words with intention and energy hold so much power, especially when said or sang with a group. ‘The Universe’ is a song to sing, a space to be, a time to think, remember, and truly feel that not only are we all connected, but we are also being guided.”
While studies have been conducted aiming to understand the science behind music, our inexplicable ability to tap into the emotions of another human being by way of arrangements of sonic frequencies still seems a bit like magic. Death Valley Girls have always sought to wield that magic like ancient mystics, creating psychic bonds with willing ears through the medium of their fiery rock n’ roll. On the surface, previous albums like Glow in the Dark and Darkness Rains were rowdy mash-ups of early American punk, sun-baked psych rock, and proto-metal fire-and-brimstone guitar worship, yet there was always an undercurrent of some kind of strange, celebratory communal ritual in their music.
‘The Universe’ is a step towards the ethereal, with an eerie organ opening coming straight out of a horror movie with a riff so catchy you’ll be humming it for days. It takes all the elements of DVG that we have come to know and love, distorts them a bit and results in something incredibly beautiful. If this is the lead track, the album is set to be mesmerising.
