If your New Year’s resolution was to listen to more local shoegaze music, then your year is already off to a good start.

Winnipeg’s notme released a cassette, titled Mask, that includes five new tracks, as well as the single “Moth,” which was released on Bandcamp last July.

Their sound is a mix of dreamy indie and hard grungy alt rock. With all songs played at a very slow pace, this tape will soothe you through this unreasonably cold and dark winter we are experiencing in Winnipeg.

Each track creates an ominous atmosphere, which allows you to be both anxious and chill. The final track “Moth” contains cool melodic riffs intertwined with dreamy harmony and solid rhythm. This track has a grunge-like intensity in the bass and drums but a very laid-back guitar style. The intensity is kept down and creates a nice contrasting sound between the instruments.

A high point in the album is the extra distorted effects added in with the guitar. The mixture of effects on the guitars make it sound very trippy and give it a definite shoegaze feel. You can stream Mask for free and purchase the cassette on notme’s Bandcamp page.

- Alex Roberecki

Published in Volume 72, Number 14 of The Uniter (January 18, 2018)