Duo Daisy Glaze consists of New York City scene staples Louis Epstein, known for his time with HITS, Jump Into The Gospel and Chris Stein, and Alix Brown, DJ and singer with Angry Angles and Golden Triangle. They started collaborating and playing shows in 2016 and, just before the pandemic, they traveled to Portugal to record this debut with producer Sonic Boom. The sound they crafted is otherworldly, containing all the makings of a science-fiction epic. The expansive backing tracks are anchored by the duo’s songs—sharp, short and decidedly retro excursions, with catchy choruses and hooks that imbed themselves in your mind after a single listen. “Strangers in the Dark” sounds like an outtake from a Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazlewood session from the late ‘60s. Ghostly organ and shimmering guitar chords create a brooding background for Epstein’s ominous growl and Brown’s anxious warble. Images of mystery and romance describe a couple searching for connection in a landscape of dismal, shifting shadows. The sounds of a gigantic, twang-heavy, spaghetti[1]western guitar open “The Ghost of Elvis Presley.” Epstein ornaments the song with a spooky slide-guitar line, while they sing about running through graveyards, real and metaphorical, acknowledging the fact that Presley is gone and did not leave any ghosts behind. The bright pop backbeat that propels “Buffalo Thunder” brings to mind the groove of The Standells’ “Dirty Water.” The guitars mimic the sound of far-off church bells, as Epstein and Brown trade verses describing a couple’s delight in a self-destructive relationship that’s spinning wildly out of control. The duo closes with a flat recitation of the facts on “How the City Was Lost.” A funeral organ underscores their dreadful images of a society crumbling around them.Please enjoy this full-length feature from Relix Magazine. Not a subscriber? Show your support for only $2/month