Palace

SYFFAL has had a lengthy, sensual relationship with the band Palace. Even before they were the band Palace, there was Leo.

There was always Leo. *stares off into the sunset which is actually just pollution because it's not even 2pm bro*

Leo Wyndham randomly submitted two untitled tracks to us maybe 8 or 9 years ago. It was just him, a guitar, and a shitload of reverb.

Mind you, this was back when I thought I had life figured out. I was all "new music, new music, new music". There wasn't this unending global dread hanging over everyone's life. Leo's voice was soupy ballllllllllls, and I was smitten as hell. I remember sending it to like four people right away with accompanying messages saying shit like, "alright, we can die now".

Sure, it was hyperbole, but Leo took that solo electric guitar, and that ten ton supply of reverb, and recorded himself in a beautifully tiled European bathroom (a loo, bro), and the music it produced was simply gorgeous.

I couldn't find the shit if I tried, but Leo probably knows what I'm talking about, and if he's anything like me, no matter what anyone says about things I've created, I hate what I created before because I'm not that person anymore.

Anyway, the tracks were removed a few months after we published my writing about them, and I assumed the dude had gone the way of many of the musicians I've interacted with during the SYFFAL era, which is to say they grew up and started paying taxes and trying to have health insurance and shit.

Fast forward like 7 years and Tom (from SYFFAL), sends me a link like "dude, I can't stop listening to this band." I hit play, mainly to try and find a reason to tell Tom he was a dick, and within fifteen seconds I went "dude, that's Leo Wyndham." And Tom, being the dick he is goes, "No, it's the band Palace."

Because I am an asshole of epic proportions, I dug in and went and found more info about Palace and sure as shit, it was my Leo.

Leo was still making music. Leo was still bathing himself in reverb that not everyone can pull off. Leo had found a supporting cast in his band mates, and they were a much more powerfully emotional medium for Leo's chops, both oral and on the guitar.

Palace, if you haven't heard them yet, craft a highly reverberated brand of indie rock that operates in the dreamy, traipses on the ethereal, and simmers in the emotional. Their claim to fame is that you don't realize the EP or album is starting over, because the feelings you feel as the first song starts start to swirl and morph completely change as the last song ends, and then you don't even realize you've started the fucker over.

Palace is necessary when the world is what the world is. We all need a personal hypnotization once in a while. Palace is that shit.

Leo randomly hit me up this morning, sort of knowing I was going through a mini mania. He said he had a new album coming in a few days, he wanted me to listen to it.

Seeing that I was on the toilet, I said sure. I hit the soundcloud link, cranked the volume on the bathroom speaker (I call it the "shitter speaker" because it's in the shitter), and started getting ready for my day.

Fifteen minutes later the dog is scratching outside the door asking to come in and sit under me, as is tradition, and I realize I haven't done anything to get ready and I was just staring at myself in the mirror.

Fucking Leo.

Opening track, "Life After", has this whimsically 90s soundtrack vibe to it, where some poor protagonist is having his life flash before his eyes after the loss of someone close to him. I can't totally place which person in this character's life just left our astral plane, but Palace's tempered and calm intensity on this song makes me hope someone is out there listening because this song belongs on a screen just as bad as it belonged in my ears this morning.

"Berlin" takes the galloping and cinematic drums that Palace seems to pound out so well, and layers Leo's vocal and guitar over it perfectly. "Don't make me couuuuuunt my blessings..." sounds like I've heard it a thousand times before, and I found myself singing along to this song after only the second fucking time through the album. The post-rock inspired guitar solo as the song climaxes to a reverby close is one of the best parts of the album, and I've only spent a few hours with it.

"Face In the Crowd" is an honest example of what I first encountered all those years ago when Leo sent his solo shit to SYFFAL. It's almost ghastly how he sounds like no matter where he plays it feels like he's performing in some massive cathedral. Leo's mouth and hands are enough to carry a tune, sure, but you'll notice the finesse being everything that his Palace brothers paint behind him. While he might be occasionally seen as the face of the band, I'll tell you he's only as fucking awesome as his band, and as this album continues, his band comes further and further into focus as being the reason Leo sounds so fucking good.

Case in point is the track "Martyr", when the drums and bass come in around 0:51 the song dips straight into that pocket that, if I could play drums worth a shit, I would choose to fucking live inside. Just immediately comf as shit, and then as the song opens up, and the reverb starts to swell, and the drums get a little bit more flaily, they bring it all back down into that comfortable pocket. It's fucking gorgeous.

I know this album doesn't drop for a few more days, but I'll be on the road with the wife and kids, so I fingered I'd get this out of my brain asap so the rest of y'all can make plans to fawn over these Palace fuckers.

This album is beautiful and I'm going to annoy my family with it for the next week or so, but I strongly encourage you to find music that makes you feel like Palace makes me feel. Every single time I listen to their music, it's the first time, because I keep changing. I think that's fucking awesome.

Love ya Leo.
Love ya Palace.

Here is their SPOTIFY. 
Here is their SOUNDCLOUD.
Here is their FACEBOOK.

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