The fantastic inception story of Delta of Venus is both heartwarming and inspiring. A showcase of true indie veterans returning to form, their latest 2-song EP is a blend of ambient and balanced indie pop with a unique charm and mystique.
Based in the aptly named town of Mystic, Connecticut, Delta of Venus started in the early 90s when three friends decided to start a band where none of them knew how to play the instruments they chose. The idea was to ensure that whatever sound they come up with would be unlike any other artist they know, simply because they didn’t know how to sound like anybody on the foreign instruments. The novel idea has no doubt evolved to be more involved over the decades, but with fantastic results on their latest EP, released after years of indefinite hiatus.
‘Disengaged’ and ‘Slipping’ are wonderfully different songs that sound unquestionably similar in source. A hallmark for a musical group with a distinct sonic fingerprint. The trio of Ellery Twining, Mat Tarbox, and Shawn Fake, with the help of Issy, a vocalist that had just taken a job at the venerable record store Mystic Disc, where Ellery worked for 2 decades, puts forth a gorgeous display of eye-opening indie and gentle shoegaze that is all so delightfully airy and ethereal.
‘Disengaged’ is wonderful is its roomy sound courtesy of light-handed strums, a syncopated beat, and a whimsical bass line. With a warm string arrangement and bouncy, dreamy synth plucks, both behind Issy’s glistening, restrained, and affectionate vocals, ‘Disengaged’ is starry-eyed, breezy, and heartwarming. ‘Slipping’ follows with a little more involved arrangement that undeniably carried the same DNA as the song before. Displaying a bit more of its shoegaze roots, ‘Slipping’ is more rhythmically engaging and straightforward with its conventional groove. The icy soundscape is soothing and engulfing, and Issy’s vocals are just as subdued and sweet.
Delta of Venus’ return is not only welcome for a group of venerable indie veterans, it is also a musically rich one that’s nuanced, lush, pretty, and gripping.
