The Olivia Tremor Control – “Garden of Light / The Same Place”

I can’t imagine that I’m the only one with this on the dock today. Long rumored and finally unearthed, the first new music from The Olivia Tremor Control in decades hits a bit different on the tailwind of the news of W. Cullen Hart’s passing. Following Doss’s death in 2014, light seemed to dim on word of new works but it would appear that Hart and E6 have been able to wrangle some magic from the tape machine and its release into the wild just when we need it most is serendipitous to say the least. I’m not always one to wax nostalgic or dig obituary on the site. Entry and exit into the world is inevitable, but some music leaves deeper imprints, and Hart and Doss were just those kinds of artists.

At the moment we’re graced with two new cuts, “Garden of Light” representing the more melodic moments of OTC, a wealth of bittersweet pop, perfumed with the familiar scents of castles and foliage from the past. “The Same Place” flips towards the more mercurial end of the band’s spectrum, saturated with a darkness tinged with desperation. The new songs find many from the folds of the E6 roster on board, including Robert Schneider, Derek Almstead (Giant Day, Circulatory System), Heather McIntosh (Circulatory System, Dark Meat), Eric Harris (Elf Power), John Fernandes (Circulatory System, The Rishis), Peter Erchick (Pipes You See, Pipes You Don’t) and more. The two new singles are out now, a beautiful tribute for Hart and a reminder of why the band will hold an eternal place in my heart. The band still stands as one of the cornerstones of why RSTB exists.

Support the artist. Buy them HERE.