Rare Seed's "Ethereal Enclave" Pushes You To Look At The Reality

Shining a spotlight on the mental health challenges faced by this generation, Rare Seed has crafted a magical album that captures all your thoughts.

The NOLA-based modern rock band, Rare Seed, shelters five members- each with a versatile, creative background- which gives shape, form, and depth to their productions. Drawing inspiration from the legends of the past decade, including David Bowie, Phife Dawg, David Lynch, Prince, and more, this band has taken it upon itself to keep the flame alive and continue in their footsteps. In addition to these heroes, the collective's influences span over multiple genres- from the early sonic recipe books of Thee Oh Sees and My Bloody Valentine to the soaring avant-jazz-pop of Stereolab and Koji Kondo. The band started their sonic voyage not too long ago, and observing their first single to their latest release, we witness the vast journey they have traveled with their instruments. The sweat and hours put into evolving their musical prowess are evident in this album titled "Ethereal Enclave."

"Recorded at Marigny Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rare Seed has revealed its debut album, "Ethereal Enclave"- an introspective 11-track project circling the struggles of today. "

With traces of prog, punk, garage rock, and blues, Rare Seed adopts aspects and moods of everyday living and pumps them through a filter of melancholic whimsy to potent effect. The creative heart of the band, drummer, lead singer, lyricist, and guitarist Lex Condes, comes from a post-punk and metal background, having played in bands like Leafdrinker. Guitarists Ben Parker and Connor Herring bring virtuosity through fluid lead lines, channeling the energy of The Allman Brothers and Cream while layering funk and psychedelic dreamscapes with inventive pedal work and distortion. Keyboardist Andrew Wise, with his classical and early jazz roots, shapes the band’s thematic development. Bassist Matthew Maggiore infuses contemporary hip-hop influences, anchoring the music with rhythmic precision and a driving pulse.

Taking you to an eerie land in the clouds, reminiscent of the Isle of the Lotus-Eaters, with this album, the band takes up the torch and climbs into the grimy and grey areas of life to preserve the kernels of truth and peace for those that come after. Enchanting you with the spell infused in the tracks, Rare Seed lulls you into a hypnotic sense of ease that would have you believe that it's okay to let your guard down and to let your mind float away. The creations travel directly into your soul as the vocals join the brilliant, avant-garde harmony.

Commencing this mind-boggling journey, we immerse ourselves in the intro, "El Nino," a mellow symphony paired with dream-like vocals. Creating a sense of urgency towards the end with an increased pace, the track expresses a state of crisis that everyone feels like they are in. Moving forward, pieces like "The Grove," "Lotus Eaters," and "Ethereal Enclave" attract the audience's attention as they dabble in deeper feelings of unease, and serenity that we feel more and more with some Indie and Rock waves.

"In an age where the powerful will always run rampant and roughshod over the tired and less fortunate if left unchecked, someone (or something) has got to give," says the artist, expressing their point of view behind making this album in an attempt to give a voice to the ones who feel alone, and comfort them in a way no one can. Going into the second half of the album, we see "Love Streams," "Liminal Spaces," and "Clarion Cell"- tracks sculpted with molds of empathy and disdain, love and loathing, and guilt and acceptance, tapping into a lot of emotions associated with the well-being of one's mental health. Overall, this entire project is a way of extending a helping hand towards the people facing difficulties at the gun points of their own brains.