Photo by Rebecca StormThe music of Montreal’s Esther Isabel, a.k.a Dreamboy, continues the tradition of the city’s experimental, noise-damaged pop. Her new EP Endings removes the grind of earlier tracks like “Negative Feelings” in favor of ethereal synthpop that often recalls the cloudy days of the early 2010s, when ghostly bangers reigned supreme. Opener “One Cold Morning” kicks through a haze of buzzing synth pads while “Only Friend” sounds like a poppier version of Replica-era Oneohtrix Point Never. However, it’s the title track that makes the clearest statement, as Isabel’s cathartic vocals swoop through a Clams Casino-ish fog while drum 'n' bass breakbeats sputter to life at seemingly random intervals.“Endings is a meditation on the themes which I have explored during most of my formative years of making music and art,” says Dreamboy. “It is a salute to those years and the memories that have punctuated them. The music, words, and visuals embody the frame of mind that I've been steeped in for a while. I set out to capture that mood, and to set it free.” Listen to the EP below.
Phil Witmer is a Noisey Canada staff writer. Follow him on Twitter.