Chandelier is a band from Atlanta, GA

Chandelier’s self-titled debut is the result of a period of intense focus and vision, born from the natural dynamic between members Dennis Bowen (guitar/drums), Bryan Scherer (guitar/backing vocals) and Kyle Syrylo (lead vocals/lyrics). A taut, powerful reinvention of post-punk and Krautrock tropes, it relies on syncopated, motorik drum work and down-tuned guitar interplay in its inspired pace, forming a rock-solid foundation for serpentine, impressionistic vocals.

Syrylo is an avowed acolyte of early 20th century poet Hart Crane, who wrote of turmoil and chaos amid the expectation of order, ultimately taking his own life by jumping from the deck of a steamer at the age of 32, in 1931. Most of Chandelier’s lyrics were written in a two-month burst of inspiration while on long walks through East Atlanta, where Syrylo would traverse “deeply wooded areas, empty fields and abandoned residential plots, [passing] through city parks, bustling neighborhoods where the homeless wandered, piss-soaked and aimless, among crowds of young people drinking, eating overpriced food, peeling away in their Land Rovers.” It’s not hard to hear this contrast of the beautiful and the unsettling in its subjects and stanzas, which run a gamut from conversational spoken-word, to trancelike mantras.

Chandelier was, according to the band, “written backwards”, with home demos providing the backbone for lyrical composition, after which many songs were re-recorded to suit the pacing and nuances of Syrylo’s vision – Bowen describes the process like “a brutalist architect attempting art deco”. With this approach, the economical setup of two guitars, drums, and voice yields a remarkably full-spectrum sound, as the low midrange of their loosened strings performs double duty for phantom basslines. This deliberate choice highlights the dexterity and complexity of their arrangements, which alternately lock together and split into complementary harmonic overlap throughout the record.

Syrylo himself became fatigued with guitar playing before diving headlong into “writing and studying poetry like it was another instrument” in the lead-up to these songs. Seeking an outlet that would allow for the projection of pure language, one couldn’t hope for a more perfect fit. Ultimately, it’s not just the disparity between the urban and natural, the forest and the punk club; potent meditations on sanity and its adjacent alternatives carry through Chandelier’s every riveting moment.

RIYL: Sonic Youth, U.S. Maple, Neu!, Can, Lungfish, A Frames, Naomi Punk, Federation X, Giddy Motors

Personnel:
Dennis Bowen-
Kyle Syrylo
Bryan Scheer