Kestrels

Man, remember the 90s? It's okay if you don't, because all you have to do is walk down the street and you'll see a bunch of people wearing mom jeans and crop tops. And we're cool with this trend because, hey, let's face it, the 90s were pretty dope—especially the music. But like most trends, there are a lot of knuckleheads trying to recreate what it was like to listen to Mazzy Star in 1993. Most of 'em suck at it, but Kestrels, a Canadian fuzz-pop trio, does not. The band's new single, "The Moon Is Shining Our Way," which Noisey is premiering below, sounds like a lost B-side from the Smashing Pumpkins. It's fuzzy and dude's voice echoes Billy Corgan, before he lost his goddamn mind. - Noisey

Halifax shoegazers Kestrels will release the followup to 2012’s A Ghost History LP with their new The Moon Is Shining Out Way EP on July 1 via Sonic Unyon Records. The new EP was recorded by Alex Bonenfant who’s helmed recent records for fellow Canadian bands METZ and Crystal Castles, and it’s the kind of driving shoegaze with MBV guitars and reverb vocals, but a hard hitting rhythm section too. A full stream of the EP premieres in this post and can be listened to below.
The band are also going on a tour with two quality Brooklyn punk bands, Worriers and Adult Dude. That tour hits NYC twice, first on July 12 at Shea Stadium with White Rope and then without Worriers on July 17 at Cake Shop with Wild White. (A Cake Shop show for 7/11 with Worriers, Kestrels, and Adult Dude was previously announced but is no longer happening.)
All dates are listed, with the EP stream, below…


Read More: Kestrels releasing a new EP (stream it), touring with Worriers and Adult Dude (dates) | http://www.brooklynvegan.com/kestrels-releas-1/?trackback=tsmclip - Brooklyn Vegan

Kestrels is a noise pop trio from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and, boy, is their four-song stop-gap EP, The Moon Is Shining Our Way ever fantastic. While some may scoff at their My Bloody Valentine infused sound, consider this: many would try to emulate Loveless, and probably fail doing so. Fewer would go after the group’s much more criminally underrated Isn’t Anything, which is precisely what Kestrels do on this outstanding EP. Starting out with the fuzzed out “Eternal and Debased”, Kestrels don’t relent or give up throughout the course of this 15-minute bonafide treat. The song rides an emotion created out of airplane vapour trails, and simply rocks out in full-frontal bare fashion. Yes, you have the tremolo riding trickery of MBV, but it’s one thing that Kestrels do quite well, even if they do come across as being a copycat act. Given that MBV’s output hasn’t been exactly prolific, one should welcome this with open arms, if you’re into that kinda thing.

What makes this album so special lies in the template of the title track, which hits the same sweet spot as the Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s “Belong”. It starts out with a ferocious guitar that’ll give your speakers a work out, before settling in with a more bassline-heavy verse. The interplay between the harsh and the soft is what elevates this song to the highest level. But the rest of the EP is just as stunning. Final track “The Double” is an agreeably plodding piece of sludge rock that isn’t boring, it’s actually quite captivating with its pummelling riffs. “Wide Eyes” is a tack more than two minutes punk-infused number, which illustrates that Kestrels have more in their tricks bag than effects pedals. All in all, The Moon Is Shining Our Way cuts through the night with clarity and precision, and makes one proud that a Canadian group could go so far out of their way to sound as British as they do here. This is an EP that transcends the shoegaze genre, and is simply marvelous for what it accomplishes. - Pop Matters

Kestrels established serious buzz with their 2012 release A Ghost History. That release saw the Halifax group experimenting with pop-punk themes with an untraditional sonic scope. But, where A Ghost History at times felt uncertain and convoluted, their new EP The Moon Is Shining Our Way is a focused exhibition of glimmering shoegaze. It’s a good thing too since the underlying shoegaze of A Ghost History was always Kestrels’ most exciting moments. With focus has come far cleaner production thanks to recording out of Dream House Studios; home of other like-minded noise acts Crystal Castles and METZ. TMISOW certainly ascribes to the old adage that emulation is the greatest form of flattery. The record is not without dutifully paid homage to My Bloody Valentine’s seminal classic Loveless, but Kestrels’ pop-punk edge breaks through the comparisons, creating something recognizable yet fresh. Which is really all you could ever want from a shoegaze outfit.
Why We Like Them:
There are a lot of reasons, but the biggest would have to be because we LOVE shoegaze. Though the genre is packed with chumps who think transcending sonic nirvana is as simple as: 1) turning your amp to 11 and 2) recording high pitched vocals very low in the mix, Kestrels actually seems to understand the subtlety required to make melody move through the noize.
Best Songs:
This is a very small EP, clocking in at a grand total of 15 minutes. Do yourself a favor and listen to the whole thing. But, if our 140-character culture has so done us in, here are some highlights:
“Eternal and Debased” opens the album with a charging force. Churning guitars soar over aggressive punk drums. Chad Peck’s breathless vocals carry the verse out of the sonic jungle, onto a swirling landscape of shining sound.
“The Double” is the most obvious tribute to MBV. It’s a dead ringer for a “Come In Alone” doppelganger. But where “Come In Alone” feels like a ship propelling to the furthest point of existential self-realism in the known universe, “The Double” feels more like a drill; digging to impossible depths of consciousness and reminding you to look to your left and enjoy your reflection.
Upcoming Live Dates:
Sorry, Los Angeles, no shows for us yet. But Kestrels are currently on tour through North America.
Stream Kestrels’ The Moon Is Shining EP below. - Grimy Goods