I’ve always been a huge fan of the 80s’. Currently, the amount of new acts that look back into those times for inspiration is overwhelming. However, most of them come short in what respects novelty and good feelings. Not DECORATOR. They do it the right way. There are groovy vibes everywhere, the guitars sound “just there”; and the number of vocal melodies makes me balance from side to side so easily that I feel have a new retro-loving condition.
DECORATOR
But who are DECORATOR? They are Afro-Latino siblings Alexander, Miles, and Reece Melendrez and their lifelong friend Matthew Muncian. They are an LA-based quartet who is said to infuse alternative R&B with Indie Pop. Their sonority sits on the borderline of urban and hipster culture. And we must say that if sometimes the description of a band on a press release is kind of bogus, this time it’s definitely spot-on.
We feel the influence of modern acts like Jungle and Tame Impala (the guitar is undeniable for example). And we also feel the influence of acts like Twin Shadow. But above influences, there is a beautiful sonority in their tracks that breathes their own style. A style that does not try to be, and just is. Chilled, groovy, good-vibed, and meaningful both in lyrics and sonority. We can say that overall their music makes us feel complete. And that’s the kind of vibe we like to be in.
We feature them as a New Secret today, but we believe they will get a lot of traction very soon. Not only because they’ve been playing shows with acts such as Gavin Turek, Phoebe Bridgers, or Holychild, but also, and mainly because the good quality is just too obvious.
Savage
The first single DECORATOR released this year starts off with a gorgeous guitar. In “Savage” the Tame Impala reference is obvious. The drums in the back are there also from the start. There are other waving guitars in there, and the falsetto comes in as gorgeous as it could. The hook is immediate. The track grows until the chorus – and the 80s vibe is natural and beautiful -.
“I never saw her face under the light” is the sentence that hooks us even more, now lyrically, into the song. There is a certain circularity in the track, but that makes us feel inside the sonority more and more as it turns obvious and familiar at the same time. In Singer Miles Melendrez’s words, the song talks about “the pursuit of an elusive woman met one night in a drunken stupor where not much is remembered of her beside a strong connection felt, vague memories, and a million burning questions“. The track wonders where this woman is now. But wonders in a groovy way. It makes us feel that she made a clear mark in the owner of this voice.
Fences
The second single DECORATOR released this year is more contained than “Savage”. In “Fences“, while pursuing a more calming groove – almost jazzy at times -, there is a clear R&B vibe through and through. The Luther Vandross reference feels more evident in this one. And we are glad it feels. From the first moment, there is a distinct voice in the track, providing the band with a very interesting reach on every song.
We feel “I just wanna play my guitar, I just wanna star at the stars, I just wanna be my own, that’s the way that these things go. I don’t wanna die too soon, I just cry at the moon, I just wanna be my own, that’s the way that these things go“, the main chorus is both catchy, honest, relatable, and as groovy-catchy as it gets. The song varies a lot, evolving to a funky sonority where the whole instrumental vibe perfectly accompanies every variation, giving us hooks after hooks to hold on to. The track talks about “struggling through the pain and boredom of each day and waiting to leave it all behind to lie on a rock under the desert night sky in solitude“, but does it in a very beautiful and groovy way, providing a sweet side to solitude, as only the greatest songs can.
DECORATOR’s will be releasing their debut EP, Gentleman’s Sweep, this month. Both these tracks are included in the EP. All tracks are co-produced by Lukas Frank (Storefront Church), engineered by Cassidy Turbin (Beck), mixed by Gavin Paddock (James Supercave), and mastered by Dave Cooley. And we highly encourage all of you to follow them on the links below to be on top of this record:
Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Soundcloud – Spotify