By Mykhailo Vil’yamson
It’s not often that one is privileged to hear demo recordings as a band’s first release, as so much of the “music industry” remains built on making public only the most curated versions of an artist’s material. But there’s something alluring about being able to hear the earliest incarnation of a group – before the stratification, calcifying and polishing of fully-produced albums. It’s reminiscent of bygone days when musician friends would share cassettes with each other of the latest songs they wrote, asking: “What do you think of this?” As for this collection, I’d say: “Sounds bloody brilliant! Can’t wait to hear what’s next.”
This four-song digital “tape” unassumingly came out on February 20th, and has the air of a furtively recorded lo-fi bootleg. Prairie is the new project of Dawson Reynolds (Poodle Paddle), Ian Tata (Julien’s Daughter), Val Podlesnaia, and frontperson Moss Queen. Self-described as fitting into the categories of alternative, shoegaze and stoner rock, they have a strong 90s indie revival feel – fuzzy guitar, subdued vocals, modest bass, and brawny drumming. The first two songs – “Samsa” and “Siren Song” – are more minor in tone; a captivatingly repeated riff carrying the former, and an atmospheric, spacey reverb inhabiting the latter. As for the other two tracks, “Turn Blue” is brighter, more chill and features vocalizations as opposed to vocals, while “Bat, Rats, and Alley Cats” seems the most formed structurally and lyrically (and includes an intensely delivered line about needing to get home to feed one’s cat).
What Prairie (demos) reveals is a mere glimpse of what to expect from the band, which is to say that this from-the-floor EP is a very good portend of things to come. In other words, if these are just the demos, it bodes really well for both upcoming live shows and studio recordings. While you wait, find Prairie at prairieband.bandcamp and on IG via prairie.band. And if you’re looking for the cover art, it’s from a collection of poetry called “Desire Lines” (poems by Dawson Reynolds / art by Val P).