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Spectre

by Lightning Dust

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RainyDayLoops
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RainyDayLoops I love this album (so far) because of the haunting vocals and driving vibe—especially the synth work. Amazing!! Amber Webber is one of may favorite vocalists and I'm excited for the full release :) Favorite track: Devoted To.
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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Vinyl album pressed at RTI in California.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Spectre via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $20 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD packaged in 4-panel gatefold wallet with spot gloss on the cover and spine.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Spectre via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12 USD or more 

     

1.
Devoted To 05:58
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2.
Run Away 03:03
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3.
Led Astray 03:27
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4.
Inglorious Flu 03:13
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5.
When It Rains 03:31
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6.
Joanna 04:21
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7.
More 02:45
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8.
A Pretty Picture 02:56
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9.
Competitive Depression 01:51
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10.
3AM / 100 Degrees 07:01
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about

On Spectre, their 4th album as Lightning Dust, Amber Webber and Josh Wells embrace as their sole-focus what was once a side-project, thus crafting their most refined and powerful album to date. After co-founding and touring with Black Mountain for over a decade, the duo departed from the band to further their own longterm creative partnership. Lightning Dust has evolved noticeably with each release, from the spare, dark folk of their self-titled debut, to the synth and drum machine-heavy 2013 album Fantasy. However, the through-line of their discography has been Wells’ deft production tailored perfectly around Webber’s modestly iconic voice which stirred Pitchfork to write of their 2009 LP Infinite Light that Webber’s was “one of the fiercest, most stirring vocal performances of any release this year.” In this sense the tracks on Spectre echo the spirits of quintessential rock vocalists like Grace Slick and Beth Gibbons, throughout a collection of songs that range from expertly sculpted folk-rock ear candy, to sparse Judee Sill-esque ballads consisting of little more than piano and voice.

Written during the devastating forest fires that filled her hometown of Vancouver with smoke and a sense of apocalyptic doom, album opener "Devoted To" captures Webber's resilience and determination to reestablish her creative independence as she sings "I will find my way back in even if I never sleep...Gotta find my way back in, it’s all that I believe." Propulsive rocker "Run Away" is an observation of the human need for change. Amber explains, "It was written in response to friends leaving their soul crushing jobs. I wanted to write a song that flip-flopped between the glorious freedom they felt upon leaving, and moments of despair that came afterward." Shining an optimistic light on her departure from Black Mountain on the anthemic "When It Rains" Webber sings "Let’s celebrate what we’ve done so far instead of what comes next always ripping at our hearts – it ruins." Wells' impeccable drumming and tastefully restrained synths on the soaring and cinematic "Joanna" offer the perfect backdrop for Webber, as she sings about the demons of her past "I prefer not to see - You shook me inside my memory." The assuring shuffle of "Pretty Picture", on which Stephen Malkmus shreds, is followed by the booming slacker anthem "Competitive Depression" which features vocals by Destroyer's Dan Bejar. Spectre’s dramatic two-part closer "3AM/100 Degrees" brings the album full-circle with a final statement about delusions that manifest in strife, exemplified by the song's final lines “replaying what’s behind, made us all scared when nothing was there."

2018 was a whirlwind of new beginning for Webber – going back to school and even trying out a new career. In the end these detours gave her the chance to step back and explore what parts of music were important to protect. “It made me realize that art and music are still my light." She goes on to explain, "Spectre is my journey. It’s for all the women warriors that have been battling throughout life looking for a place to express themselves that feels inclusive and inspiring. It’s about finding yourself when no one is paying attention and inventing a new way of creating that feels honest and sincere. I truly feel that women, especially as we age, are underrepresented. That was truly the driving force to creating this album."

credits

released October 4, 2019

Vocals, Guitars
Amber Webber

Synthesizers, Programming, Percussion, Blips, Electric and Fuzz Pianos, Guitars, Bass
Josh Wells

Drums, Synthesizer, Synthorgan
Matthew Skillings

Cello
Peggy Lee

Violin
Meredith Bates

Bass Guitar, Pluck Guitar
Colin Cowan

Electric Guitar on Pretty Picture
Stephen Malkmus

Electric Guitar on Pretty Picture
Dave Carswell

Vocals on Competitive Depression
Dan Bejar

This recording has been supported by Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia. Thank you.

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about

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Lightning Dust Vancouver, British Columbia

Lightning Dust - the duo comprised of Amber Webber and Josh Wells - tends to thrive in the spirit of change. 2007's self- titled debut was a hushed, intricate folk affair, while 2009's Infinite Light found a middle ground between Suicide and Fleetwood Mac era pop. So when they geared up to make the music that would become Fantasy, the pair was looking for a new sonic stamp. ... more

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