Comprised of Aaron Closson (guitar and vocals), best known as a member of The Hourly Radio and multi-instrumentalist Nolan Thies, best known as a member of N?TIONS, Brooklyn-based shoegaze duo The Blessed Isles specialize in a sound that is heavily indebted to 80s Brit Pop, New Wave and of course, shoegaze; in fact, as you’ll hear on “Caroline,” the first single off the duo’s long-awaited full-length effort Straining Hard Against the Strength of Night, the band’s sound seems to draw from New Order, Slowdive and Cocteau Twins as the duo pairs Closson’s plaintive vocals with shimmering delay pedal fed guitar chords, propulsive boom-bap 808s, and ambient-like synths to craft a swooning and introspective song with an urgently anthemic pulse.
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