As we cross the halfway mark of 2020, it’s important to critically appraise the legitimate candidates for Album of the Year as promptly as possible. The debut album from Zoongide’ewin, released 19 June, sits squarely in that camp. -Ed
Recently I was scrolling through Facebook when I came across a post with a link to a mysterious looking artist called Zoon. The album was called Bleached Wavves and it floored me. Instantly.
The name Zoon derives from the Ojibway word Zoongide’ewin which means “bravery, courage, the Bear Spirit” and aptly describes the inspirations for the project and the lovingly crafted first full-length recording from aboriginal songwriter, Daniel Monkman. In Bleached Wavves Daniel has crafted a work of stunning originality, blending the dreamy and psychedelic sounds of shoegaze with the more traditional sounds of his heritage.
The album opens with the minute-long sound experiment, “Clouded Formation”, setting the mood for first song proper, “Vibrant Colours”. Here Daniel makes full use of the glide guitar technique on top of a strident drum beat. The chorus is gloriously uplifting and counters the almost goth vibe of the verses.
“Was & Always Will Be” in complete contrast opens with a technicolour swirl of tribal drums, sitar-like sounds, finger chimes and a chanting invocation. This track is utterly compelling like Kaa in The Jungle Book, its hypnotic charm hooks you right in. The inventiveness on show here I haven’t seen since the early days of Beck. As if reading my mind, Daniel kicks it up another notch.
With the sounds of the ocean behind a guitar in tremolo ecstasy, we reach the title track. I love how Daniel’s vocals come in off the beat here. It really adds the element of surprise to the intro. For such an understated track it carries such a powerful emotional punch. No sooner have we begun though than the sounds of the ocean carry us away.
Coming in on a slow fade appears “Brokenhead”, a lolling monster of an instrumental. If the Chemical Bros were in a band this is perhaps what they might sound like. Slow builds, drops outs and big beats reappear all the while a fuzzed-up guitar drones out a compelling melody.
Another sound experiment follows in “A Perfect Sunset”. The influence of Kevin Shields’ work on segues for Loveless apparent here, and welcome.
For the first time we hear the strum of an acoustic guitar as we enter “Light Prism”. A gorgeously-textured ballad with complementing guitar and vocal lines. All the while a reversed guitar sample snakes away in the background. This track is an album stand out for me with its sumptuous production and glowing instrumentation.
“Infinite Horizons” is next. A spoken word piece over a wall of feedback and droning guitars punctuated by a tribal beat. This sets us up nicely for the baggy beat of “Landscapes”. Swaggering in like Bez circa 1990, this one has all the attitude. A marching, bouncing instrumental which threatens to explode with every riff.
The album closer returns to the tribal sounds with “Help Me Understand”. A psychedelic guitar accompanies a tribal drum while Daniel’s vocals are very much sixties influenced. A David Crosby vibe is what I’m picking up. A fitting close to an amazing album.
This album is great shoegaze, there’s no denying that. However, it is so much more. Repeated listens reward the listener with new layers of detail, new sonic surprises that you missed on previous listens. That for me is the sign of an artist who cares about their listener. Someone who puts in the extra work to make their music timeless and peerless. Will we still be listening to this album in thirty years and getting excited about it? I think so, and I also think that it will attract more and more people to its honesty and openness through the years. I await the next Zoon album with great excitement and I know you will too.
Follow Zoongide’ewin (or Zoon, if you prefer) via Bandcamp (vinyl available through Paperbag Records), Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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