Stumbleine feat. Violet Skies

Sometimes you can surprise even yourself with how your music taste can take a sudden jolt away from the beaten track, but by the same rule it’s rather refreshing to know that you’re not locked into a stubborn mindset where nothing other than favoured genres and styles can penetrate a hardened musical exterior. Well I thank you Stumbleine and Violet Skies for showing me that there is still some talent left in the so called ‘pop’ genre, albeit with elements of shoegaze, electronica, and euphoric tones thrown in.

Dissolver is the second concoction of Stumbleine feat. Violet Skies, a full length album that follows their debut EP, Chasing Honeybees. Much like the debut EP, they both continue to discover the union of electronica and wistful guitars mixed with soulful vocals whose roots rightfully sit in the pop / R’NB genre, quite an interesting balance to juggle, yet a successful one.

There’s a tremendous amount of atmospheric chill to the albums tone, sometimes sitting perfectly against the backdrop of the sun rising whilst sat on a beach on a typical ‘clubbing’ holiday, like being at Cafe Del Mar in Ibiza or something similar. The vibe is felt right from the start with Thunderdome, a catchy and euphoric piece that merges shoegaze guitar with slow and funky electronic beats. Heroine is a highlight, being more guitar orientated that appears gritty and echoes with every simple strum. Whirlpool reverts back to the electronic, carrying a typical funkier theme. One Step Closer and Sleeping Through the Day regress back to the shoegaze style, but all are supported by the beautiful tone and lyrical craftsmanship of Violet Skies.

Dissolver delivers a welcome progression to the pop genre that has finally given back some credibility and inspiration from the somewhat overly commercial state it’s become. As stated, I’m not really a fan of anything that has the ‘pop’ tag attached to it, even ‘Shoegaze’ can be a stretch at times, but this is alluring, very interesting and has reinstated my belief that all is not lost for the ‘pop’ genre, marking a huge step in the right direction. The music still carries all the hallmarks of a Stumbleine production, but the vocals create a new dimension to the music he is noted for. He has admitted that Violet Skies “...makes the music stand out and has opened the door to a wider audience.”

Dissolver is available on CD and digital download formats from all good retailers and also as a 180 gm vinyl LP pressing of 500 (300 white vinyl, 200 black vinyl) which includes a free poster and an album CD in a printed card wallet inside. Physical pre-orders from the shop will also receive free Stumbleine Feat. Violet Skies badges and stickers whilst supplies last. Violet Skies has also recently launched her own solo career, with the recent debut of her first track How The Mighty.