Cults, aka Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion, have announced their fourth solo album, Hosts, is to be released on September 18th via Sinderlyn. From it, the pair have released a second single, Trials, which follows on from the brilliant Spit you out
Of the new single, the band say “Trials” focuses on the power that addictions and harmful ideologies have to transform. The chorus walks a tightrope between a metaphor for gaslighting and a despairing worry about the person you still hold out hope for.
Trials has this gently pulsating manner about it, with shuffling beats and hazy synths, over which Follin’s vocal drapes itself seductively. Add in some lovely vocal harmonies and a scruffy guitar solo and what you’ve got is beautiful cinematic indie/dream-pop of the highest order.
Of the accompanying video, director Jeff Strikers says “Cults asked me back in April if I had any ideas for a music video we could make while quarantined across the country. Via Zoom, we shot Madeline’s performance against a green tablecloth from a party store. I started experimenting with an old optical illusion called “Pepper’s Ghost”, projecting Madeline’s image onto a sheet of glass to create a ghostly, hologram effect. They use this technique on the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. It was pretty magical and the whole process was constant discovery and surprise. An ideal creative experience.
