So Totally – Double Your Relaxation | Album Review
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Tiny Engines
“Time is a flat circle,” a dirty, disheveled Matthew McConaughey said in the television show True Detective. If you’re not distracted by his messy hair and the thousand-yard stare from his character, he was really onto something. This also applies to music, which is influenced by cyclical trends, scenes, and waves just as much as any other art form. As a fan, it can be exhilarating to watch a specific type of sound catch as artists build off the shared inspiration in their own unique ways. Of course, once something gets big enough, every record company and their mother wants to capture that sonic inferno, and indie rock is no different. The shoegaze scene is exploding right now, with bands like Wednesday, They Are Gutting a Body of Water, and Hotline TNT leading the charge toward a heavy and hazy new era of rock music.
So, with this trend being the "Next Big Thing" in rock, imitators are bound to come out of the woodwork replicating atmospheric vibes that are inauthentic and empty at their core. However, the Philadelphia quartet So Totally is up next, not just in riding the wave of shoegaze but in pushing the sonic scope of the genre forward, reminiscent of their Pennsylvania counterparts like Spirit of the Beehive and Feeble Little Horse. But the band isn’t a Johnny-come-lately in the shoegaze neighborhood; they've been living on this block for quite some time. Just look at their 2019 record, In the Shape Of…, and you'll discover those very same scuffed-out guitars turned up to max power. The same goes for the group’s debut EP, A Cheap Close-Up of Heaven, from 2016.
Before they became a band, the members of So Totally initially connected over their shared affinity for the band Land of Talk, which would explain how they have such a knack for creating ear-wormy melodies. Their distinct sound coalesces around singer/guitarist Roya Weidman’s silky vocals, strategically tucked underneath glistening guitars and powerful grooves. Her bandmates, guitarist Matt Arbiz, bassist Ryan Wildsmith, and drummer Joe McLaughlin, can set the table better than any waiter at Nobu with their chameleon-like instrumental blend of dream-like pop to heavy shoegaze. It's a sound that leans heavy into the 90s, think My Bloody Valentine having a situationship with The Breeders and The Pixies.
So Totally’s sophomore album starts with “Welcome Back,” which feels like a sample platter offering all the band's ideas wrapped into one song; it's a rhythmic, vibey excursion that whisks the listener away with no idea where they’ll end up. The way the music seamlessly intertwines from a blissful dream to razor-edge guitars is a pure delight, all the while, it seems like Weidman is singing through a walkie-talkie. The lead single, “Distinct Star,” leans towards shoegaze with a pop spin; from the melodic distortion to the whispery vocals, it's a mix that goes down smoothly. “Doz Roses” is a song that showcases this band's potential with searing guitar sounds jam-packed with hypnotic melodies from Wiedman, creating an immersive experience you never want to escape.
So Totally pays tribute to the vintage alternative rock sound of yesteryear with “Weak To Leaf,” which sports shredding solos and mega walls of noise, resulting in a song that’s reminiscent of early-90s Smashing Pumpkins and also one of the best on the entire record. Mid-album cut “BTW” has a dreamy intro and mystifying vocals that intertwine with glimmering guitars, giving the feeling of drifting away on a nimbus cloud. A couple of tracks later on “Baby Step To Revenge,” Wiedman's hauntingly blissful melodies ride a wave of atmospheric, moody music. The song feels more like a cinematic excursion, instantly ready to elevate any late-night drive.
The title “Double Your Relaxation” was taken from a self-hypnosis tape, with pieces of the recording inserted throughout the album. The phrase refers to “the exact moment one can enter the psyche and become susceptible to influence.” This phrase offers insight into how So Totally creates their music: lulling the listener into a sense of comfort and openness so that they can carve their riffs and melodies somewhere deep in their psyche. It's a clever spin on the shoegaze genre, keeping things fresh for the listener without feeling too redundant, especially given this recent influx of pedal-heavy music. The songs might challenge you on first listen, but once you become accustomed to their sounds, you will want to stay fully immersed in their world. Between the hypnosis tapes woven throughout and the brooding vibes of the record, it starts to feel like something you could imagine Batman playing to psyche himself up right before he jumps across rooftops hunting down supervillains.
The Bandcamp genre tags for Double Your Relaxation are all the evidence you need to witness this band’s lofty aspirations: “doom love,” “grunge wedding,” “dream pop,” “rock,” and “shoegaze.” You can do nothing but admire their ambition, not wanting to wash, rinse, and repeat the same shoegaze music that has taken over social media. Take the music video for the vibe-heavy ballad “Strange Way,” which is a freakish mix of stop-motion animation and film that looks like a psychedelic's wet dream. This isn't some copy-and-paste by-the-numbers shoegaze band, you can tell how seriously they take their craft. Double Your Relaxation is an album that not only respects and honors the shoegaze sound of the past but pushes the genre forward into a brighter future.
David is a content mercenary based in Chicago. He's also a freelance writer specializing in music, movies, and culture. His hidden talents are his mid-range jump shot and the ability always to be able to tell when someone is uncomfortable at a party. You can find him scrolling away on Instagram @davidmwill89, Twitter @Cobretti24, or Medium @davidmwms.
