Lists of people—partners, roommates, friends—often stand in for narratives about life. Newfoundland and Labrador-based Fog Lake has just added a name to his list. Joining “andrew” on 2008’s there’s a spirit there’s a soul and “erik” on 2013’s virgo indigo is “andy”, an ethereal bit of bedroom pop from his upcoming LP victoria park, out on June 30th through Orchid Tapes.
The track, produced by Orchid Tapes head and ex-Canadian Warren Hildebrand (also of Foxes in Fiction) evokes the dull, sweet pain of nostalgia. Reedy, high vocals float above lush piano and languorous acoustic guitar in a way that recalls labelmates Elvis Depressedly, even as they nod to Fog Lake’s past as a drone act. A figure haunts the empty parks and passing headlights of “andy”’s accompanying video. The song’s world is quiet and dark, and listeners pass through it as if they were sleepy passengers in the mobile bedrooms often called cars.
Those who grow up in the suburbs often feel as though theirs is the most important bedroom in existence even though their travels through that landscape often seem to leave a mark as precarious as the video’s figure, who disappears and reappears with regularity. Fog Lake, as he addresses “you”—perhaps andy himself—memorializes those quotidian experiences, showing them to be as lovely as one could dare hope to remember.
You can watch the video for “andy” above and steam another track from victoria park, “Bury My Dead Horses”, below.
