Plural Gallery is an independent alternative rock project from Nashville, and Portable Aura, released March 8th, is its collection of melodic, reflective songs built around intimate acoustic textures and expressive electric guitars. According to the press materials, the record moves between introspection and rock energy while keeping an organic, understated character, drawing on the spirit of classic guitar-driven alternative rock.
This is a relaxing easy listening album with an overall bright tonality. But easy listening doesn’t mean it lacks any depth; actually, I found repeat listens very rewarding, as the supporting instrumentation layers are very detailed and the counter melodies work really well in tandem with the main vocal lines. The album has a cohesive sound, which is a bonus for some people: an album that remains focused and doesn’t deviate too much texturally, but if you want a varied album where every song sounds like a completely different thing this isn’t that kind of album.
Now, to my two favorite songs on the album: first up is “Dark Matter” The reason why this song works so well is that it uses rhythm effectively; by that, I am referring to how it starts out in a very ethereal fashion, and then after that intro the rhythm becomes super bouncy to create this delicious, carefree momentum. In some ways, it sounds like a jam in the way it feels so free, though the compositions are clearly carefully curated with some great ear candy.
Secondly is “Crystalline”. I think this song has the best atmosphere and combination of rich, spacious synth textures and guitars on the album; the resonance of them all just works together in such a pleasant way. The bassline is also very addictive. My favorite part is after the line “before it begins” there is a high harmonic that keeps ringing filling in the space to the next vocal line that sounds amazing.
The story behind the project helps explain the hands-on feel. The artist has grandparents who toured as musicians, and says making music has always felt instinctive despite having no formal training. The album came out of a hands-on, independent recording process that lets him follow a musical idea wherever it leads. Plural Gallery‘s own pitch is that Portable Aura is for listeners who appreciate thoughtful songwriting and distinctive guitar work, and it describes the music as a place where rhythms wander, guitars shimmer, and melodies linger.
