I’ve written about Shoegaze before, as it is a genre that I never fail to find compelling to listen to. Feeling as if one is in a dream is truly surreal, and it takes some serious effort and clever production techniques to elicit this. Several artists over the years have done just that for me outside the genre, such as Decoder, Hum, Deftones, etc., but Shoegaze’s ability to transfer the listener to a different state of mind is enthralling and always welcome to me.

Upon browsing the new releases for this week, I came across Deserta. After investigation, I discovered the man behind the music as Matthew Doty. This man has been in music for the better part of the past two decades, playing with Saxon Shore and Midnight Faces. He began writing Black Aura My Sun under the Deserta moniker in 2017 after learning that he would be a father. This burst of emotion is reflected in the album, with ecstatic, bright tones at the forefront of the music.

The effervescent Black Aura My Sun sees Doty take a different approach to music than his previous bands. Straying from the Post-Rock/Post-Punk sound and instead opting for Shoegaze/Dream Pop, it’s a bit of a natural transition, as other acts like Turnover, Basement, and Title Fight have done just the same. As this is a tough genre to thrive in, Doty’s robust experience in the music business pays off as this album helms a refined sound, considering it is Matthew’s first go-around in Shoegaze.

Black Aura My Sun starts off with the single “Save Me”, a six-minute track with a nice, slow opening, establishing the elongated, vivacious setting of the album. Notes are dragged out past their typical measures, and the synth in the background reinforces the melody ever-so-lightly. Enough progression is present to not drag out the delicate, meticulous pace of the album. The next track, “Paradiso”, is even longer, and continues the low-BPM journey into solace.

Things pick up in the song “Monica”, with a much quicker beat sounding reminiscent of artists like Day Wave and Hazel English, and more upbeat than the rest of the album. “Hide” slows things down again with a tambourine backing a nostalgic guitar riff. The verse does something compelling with the synth, one piece backs Matthew’s vocals with a note on every beat, whereas the other piece brings the dreamy vibe about.

“Be So Blue” features an awesome moment, where a divine bridge connects the choruses later in the song. “I’ll Be Gone” has a quick hi-hat run throughout the song, and as things wrap up, the synth unleashes an unbelievable, eclectic riff. The album closes out with “Black Aura”, cementing the ethereal landscape with a sentimental song bringing closure as the sound departs. No songs overstay their welcome, and Deserta’s first release demands multiple listens.

This is one of the finest Shoegaze efforts I have ever listened to, and I am grateful to have received an advance press copy. Thanks are in order for Laurie at Riot Act Media! I urge the reader to give Black Aura My Sun a chance, as it is an essential dreamy Shoegaze and a great entry point into the genre. I hope that this is the first in a long line of releases from Deserta, who deserves all the credit in the world for crafting this release on his own. If you try one new album today, try Black Aura My Sun.

A press copy of Black Aura My Sun was provided by Riot Act Media for this review.

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