Single Lash : Ladida

Single Lash builds worlds on their records. The Austin-based alternative band began as a musical outlet for singer/songwriter Nicolas Nadeau. Releasing debut Almost Breathing in 2012, Nadeau has built on those early dark, Gothic songs that ranged from echo-laden dark wave and 4AD vibes to a more bright, ethereal sound. The band has expanded to a lush 4-piece collective, with the sound becoming more shimmering and jangly. Touches of The Smiths, early Cure, and Cocteau Twins coalesce beautifully with Nadeau’s smooth baritone vocals.

In 2018 Single Lash released Providence with Holodeck Records. That album was the first evolution in the band’s sound, building on what came before while pushing the project into new sonic territory. With Ladida, the band’s brand new long player, Nadeau and crew have come full circle. A lush, bright, and shimmering collection of dream pop and shoegaze songs that see Single Lash aiming for brighter moods and widescreen delivery.

Listening to Ladida I hear contemporaries like Wild Nothing, Craft Spells, and Beach Fossils echoing in the synth-laden pop. There’s also the shimmering guitar tones of The Smiths’ Johnny Marr as well. Despite the title, album opener “All Hallow’s Eve” is a dreamy, sweeping song. Driving rhythm, ethereal synths, and crystalline guitars elevate Nicolas Nadeau’s vocals. When I think of classic 80s college rock this is what comes to mind. “New Song” has major Smiths vibes and Nadeau locks into a Morrissey croon over a lushly-produced track.

Elsewhere “Sugar Armadillo” walks the line between post-punk precision and new wave abandon. There’s almost a playfulness in the sugary delivery. “What Time Is It There?” with its busy drum fills and present bass line might be the heaviest sounding song here. Album closer “To Laugh” ends the album on a bittersweet, melancholy note. A song that sums up the sentiment of the last few years, “You just have to laugh”.

Single Lash has been evolving for over a decade, since their full-length debut. On Ladida they have tapped into the magic of the early 2010s where we were getting guitar pop of the highest order from labels like Captured Tracks, Mexican Summer, and Jagjaguwar. Nicolas Nadeau’s project has taken on a life of its own and it’s a wonderful life, indeed.