We will consume anything Will Haven-related, okay? We looked far and wide for the Ghostride debut release back in the day (While our copy of LP Cobra Sunrise is cirrently MIA, you can check out some of their stuff here) and jump on any news about the legendary Sacramento outfit on the regular so when a new project from chief WH vibes officer (Not a real title) Jeff Irwin was announced as basically concentrating on all the moodiness, textures and weird shit from Will Haven and running with it for a new collection of tunes, we were immediately all in.
“Aprile” definitely sets the tone but is more of a “vibe” to kick it all off on this lush, cinematic gateway into the Foreign Film world with WH axe master Irwin’s voice providing some levity to contrast Will Haven vocalist Grady Avenell’s usual gnarly, abrasive tones. That all said, it’s “Kwen” that really carries the “voice” of Foreign Film if we had to nail it down to one defining song here with fellow Will Haven bandmate Mitch Wheeler dropping some primal drumming that builds into an epic clash between Sean Bivins’ guitars, Adrien Contreras’ Bass (Both also of WH) along with non-WH Rylan Kerr’s guitars thrown in to bulk up the FF sound.
Then “Wish” solidifies that statement with a determined, yet subtle sonic thrashing while “Santa Carla” is ethereal as Tami Taracena’s backing vox add a haunting element to the song. “Sol” fits in that SOM/Junius universe with Irwin’s broad delivery practically floating on air as “Somnolence” is beefy and burgeoning but also menacing with a tribal rumble and these Post-Rawk tinged guitar sounds building toward this epic chorus that has all the makings of a Will Haven banger until we get to the main breakdown and it’s especially apparent that FF is a whole ‘nother beastly presence. And on that Junius kick, for those in the know or who just want comparisons, Irwin’s voice across the record is like a mix of Junius’ Joseph E. Martinez but also channels the kind of croon that come out of The Sisters Of Mercy tracks on the regular.
“Terrace” kinda crushes to start then settles into another dense atmosphere with syncopated bursts of percussion and waves of riffs just crashing against an imaginary shoreline as synths and piano lines double down on the ethereal textures. As a Will Haven fan, we feel like we can hear bits of the band in everything on here but is continually cool to play a song like “Black Sky” which could easily be a Doom-laden dirge with Avenell at the mic but in Irwin’s hands transforms, or maybe transcends, into something gorgeous, hopeful and uplifting. Heading into the end, “Love Letter” follows a similar blueprint with an air of eeriness at it’s onset followed by a period of overwhelming modern Shoegaze greatness while “Essen” perfectly bookends opener “Aprile” with this piano-driven piece that’s atmospheric and world building.
A Love Letter arrives on June 12th and you can get your copy ready to spin/play as soon as it drops by heading here or to the stream below. For more from Foreign Film, including the latest on upcoming live dates like the record release show on June 19th at Goldfield Trading Post Roseville in CA with Simon Says, head to the interwebs and the FF socials by clicking here, here or here.