In my first introduction to the music of Winston Harrison’s Veinmelter I was surprised, very pleasantly, by a sound that I never anticipated. A dazzling blend of colors that feel pulled from the cosmos itself, ‘Starstreams’ is a challenging listen that rewards close attention with layers upon layers of sound that effortlessly unfold as the song progresses.
Veinmelter is the musical vehicle of Nashville-based musician Winston Harrison, and ‘Starstreams’ is part of Veinmelter’s latest studio album An Endless Ocean. An album described by Harrison as broadening the limits of ambient music, it might be safe to assume that ‘Starstreams’ is the least ambient creation of the tracklist.
Sounding like it was influenced by the gritty, eccentric, and twisted folk pop of Brooklyn giants Grizzly Bear, even Harrison’s voice has that glassy, alien-impersonating-human quality similar to Ed Droste’s, ‘Starstreams’ is a heaving beast of layers, colors, and moments that clang and clash during its moderate length, with a complex composition that results in a definitely non-linear song. The results however, do neither clang nor clash. ‘Starstreams’ is a beautifully written piece with an engulfing, spacey atmosphere put forth by interlocking synths and intricate rhythms.
With overlapping effects that define a rather nuanced soundscape, ‘Starstream’ marks a pivotal shift from Veinmelter’s familiar ambient roots. An awesome introduction to the sonic journey of Veinmelter’s An Endless Ocean.
