{"title":"Blackwater Holylight","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"blackwater-holylight-if-you-only-knew","title":"If You Only Knew **NEW REPRESS**","description":"\u003cp\u003e+ REPRESS PRESSED ON WHITE VINYL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ WHITE VINYL REPRESS LIMITED TO 500 COPIES WORLDWIDE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ LP INCLUDES PRINTED INNERSLEEVE, DL COUPON\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ CUT AT 45 RPM\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ INCLUDES IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD OF FULL EP\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003ePerhaps the biggest challenge for any musician is to learn to grow as an artist and expand one’s repertoire while retaining a coherent overarching vision to one’s work. Since their inception and across the span of three full-length albums, Blackwater Holylight have consistently conjured an aura of both power and vulnerability, as if the members of the band have found both the space and the vehicle for lowering their emotional defenses by fortifying their position with pure sonic strength. Yet that persistently haunting and enchanting quality has manifested in a variety of approaches. Equally adept at devil’s note doom riffs, narcotic neo-folk melodies, lysergic psychedelic forays, and jagged art-rock abrasion, Blackwater Holylight have used their limited arsenal of guitar, bass, drums, synth, and voice to cover a broad swath of aural terrain. On their newest EP, \u003ci\u003eIf You Only Knew\u003c\/i\u003e, Blackwater Holylight continue to follow a path marked only as \u003ci\u003efurther\u003c\/i\u003e, mining new tactics and timbres across four songs while continuing to address the uncertainties that come with transference and transition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eIf You Only Knew\u003c\/i\u003e opens with “Wandering Lost,” a track singer\/guitarist\/bassist Sunny Faris describes as being about “feeling community in sorrow and remembering that everyone hurts, everyone changes, and that no one knows what’s next.” Fueled by the interwoven melodies of Sarah McKenna’s mournful electric piano and Sunny’s lilting vocals, then driven into high gear with Mikayla Mayhew’s amplifier-worshipping guitars and Eliese Dorsay’s earth-shaking drums in the chorus, the song thrives on the contrast between sublime beauty and seismic menace, underscoring the song’s dichotomous theme of acknowledging pain and harnessing the power of shared experience in life’s trials and tribulations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eFrom there, the EP segues into “Torn Reckless,” a song that combines the wall-of-sound distortion of shoegaze with dream-pop vocals and prog-rock synth flourishes. Once again, the song’s lyrical themes center around vulnerability, with Faris describing the song as being about a private relationship quandary veiled in the broader universal experience of “standing in the doorway of something that feels so hugely mysterious and bigger than you… and I think we've all been there in that doorway, and I think we've all felt the doubt.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eSide B finds Blackwater Holylight continuing to explore new opportunities. While Side A was recorded and produced by Sonny DiPerri, the flipside was captured in the studio by Dave Schiffman. “Fate Is Forward” is a song about stasis and realizing that some things are fixed in place and the only way to move beyond an obstacle is to stop leaning on it. Much like the other songs on \u003ci\u003eIf You Only Knew\u003c\/i\u003e, the lyrics are rooted in specific incidents in the lives of the band members but eschew diaristic impulses in favor of highlighting the communal similarities in the spectrum of personal struggles. Never content to rest on their laurels, the band tackles the loud-quiet-loud dynamics and roaring power-chord choruses of early ‘90s alt-rock while maintaining their signature ability to render mesmeric vocal melodies out of a foundation of ominous and oppositional instrumentation. The EP closes with an absorbing cover of Radiohead’s “All I Need,” taking the original’s almost claustrophobic closeness and opening it up into a grandiose swirl of undulating drones and desperation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eUltimately, \u003cem\u003eIf You Only Knew\u003c\/em\u003e is a brave step into the unknown that mirrors the uncertainty of the band member's personal lives. Where Blackwater Holylight could've easily continued to tread on familiar ground, they've opted to make bold and brave steps, all while retaining the evocative power that put them on the map. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**PRE-ORDER SALES ARE FINAL**\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e**VINYL PIC IS A MOCK-UP IMAGE. FINISHED PRODUCT MAY VARY**\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blackwater Holylight","offers":[{"title":"LP (White Vinyl)","offer_id":44302581268522,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-IYOK-Vinyl-White","price":20.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (White \u0026 Black Marble Vinyl)","offer_id":42602140368938,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-IYOK-Vinyl-Marble","price":20.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/0276\/files\/SSQ240IYOKdigitalcover_1400.jpg?v=1740439333"},{"product_id":"blackwater-holylight-not-here-not-gone-pre-order","title":"Not Here Not Gone **NEW REPRESS**","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.normanrecords.com\/records\/212731-blackwater-holylight-not-here-not-gone\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUK\/EU CUSTOMERS, ORDER FROM NORMAN RECORDS\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e___\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRESSED ON 180G BLACK VINYL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ STANDARD LP JACKET \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRINTED INNER SLEEVE \u0026amp; DL CARD\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ INCLUDES IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD OF FULL ALBUM\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e___\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSOLD OUT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ REPRESS LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRESSED ON CLEAR VINYL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ STANDARD LP JACKET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRINTED INNER SLEEVE \u0026amp; DL CARD\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ INCLUDES IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD OF FULL ALBUM\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e___\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSOLD OUT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ ARTIST \u0026amp; LABEL EXCLUSIVE DELUXE EDITION LIMITED TO 500 COPIES\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRESSED ON HIGH-MELT VINYL\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ HAND-NUMBERED GATEFOLD JACKET\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ 12-PAGE BOOKLET\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRINTED INNER SLEEVE \u0026amp; DL CARD\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ INCLUDES FULL ALBUM DOWNLOAD ON RELEASE DAY\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e___\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSOLD OUT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ RETAIL VARIANT LIMITED TO 700 COPIES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRESSED ON TRANSPARENT RED VINYL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ STANDARD LP JACKET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRINTED INNER SLEEVE \u0026amp; DL CARD\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ INCLUDES FULL ALBUM DOWNLOAD ON RELEASE DAY\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e___\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSOLD OUT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ LEVITATION \u0026amp; TOUR EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TO 300 COPIES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRESSED ON SPLATTER VINYL\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ STANDARD LP JACKET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e+ PRINTED INNER SLEEVE \u0026amp; DL CARD\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e___\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the women of Blackwater Holylight left their hometown of Portland OR three years ago, their mission was to escape the gloom of the Pacific Northwest and the placating comfort of familiarity. Aiming for the sunnier climes of LA, the band found themselves not only in a warmer environment, but in a blank slate landscape—one without jobs, longtime friend groups, and the easy retreat of old habits. And it was here, unencumbered by the contentment of security, that Blackwater Holylight began diligently working on their fourth full-length album, \u003cem\u003eNot Here Not Gone\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs with their previous work, \u003cem\u003eNot Here Not Gone\u003c\/em\u003e explores the duality of light and dark—menacing riffs provide the bedrock to beguiling melodies; dense walls of shoegaze guitars pair with lighter-than-air synths; and heavy subject matter is delivered by siren song vocals. Across their work, the listener gets a sense of empowerment at one turn, vulnerability the next. As drummer Eliese Dorsay describes it, “some songs we’re the predator, and some songs we’re the prey.” The juxtaposition of confidence and uncertainty is never in as such stark relief as when one makes a life changing decision, which may explain how the band’s relocation intensified their study in contrasts to intoxicating new heights on \u003cem\u003eNot Here Not Gone\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe title is the perfect description of the band’s adjustment. “It’s one foot in, one foot out,” vocalist and guitarist\/bassist Sunny Faris explains. “It’s about how you can lose people in your life but still have their presence and energy around you.” And indeed, listening to \u003cem\u003eNot Here Not Gone\u003c\/em\u003e, you get the distinct sense that Blackwater Holylight dragged some of the Northwest gloom down into Southern California. The opening chords of “How Will You Feel” are drenched in the muddy weight of perpetually overcast skies. But a Jacob’s Ladder of light shines through the scuzzy guitars in the form of Faris’ lilting vocals and Sarah McKenna’s blissed-out ambient synth work, guiding the listener out of the mire and into the garden. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEven in their heaviest moments, like the sludgy psychedelia of “Bodies” and “Spades,” Blackwater Holylight masterfully sculpt the thunder and grime into something that feels transcendental. Lead single “Heavy, Why?” is perhaps the apex of the band’s masterful duality and an appropriately titled examination of the ensemble’s methods. Mikayla Mayhew’s low, dirge-like riff and Dorsay’s propulsive drums could easily find a home in the catalog of an amp-worshipping Roadburn act, but Faris’ fragile vocals transform the composition into a question, a pointed and probing examination that uses beauty and grace to offset the threatening instrumentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn one of the biggest stylistic shifts of the album, the instrumental track “Giraffe” churns out a hallucinatory blend of woozy keyboards and pulsating bass over a beat provided by David Andrew Sitek (TV on the Radio, Run the Jewels, Solange). The song serves as a dividing line of sorts, as \u003cem\u003eNot Here Not Gone\u003c\/em\u003e shifts gears into even more nuanced territories. The band asserts that the primary change to their music has been the addition of time. On previous albums, youthful urgency yielded material that felt immediate and direct. But on \u003cem\u003eNot Here Not Gone\u003c\/em\u003e, Blackwater Holylight deliberately slowed their creative pace. “If there were to be a theme to the album, it would be patience,” says Faris. “Some of these songs we’ve been working on for three years, just giving the songs time to breathe and develop while we were exploring a new place and new lives.” It’s especially evident on the latter half of the album, where tracks like “Void to Be,” “Fade,” and “Mourning After” deliberately eschew the big riff in favor of fever dream melodies and layered instrumentation. But forever savoring the paradox, the album’s final track was composed just days before the band entered the studio. “Poppyfields” is a harrowing account of a friend losing their home in an LA wildfire, set against a backdrop of blast beats, double kick drum, symphonic synths, and black metal-inspired guitars. In what feels like a counterweight to the album’s general tilt towards less tormented territories, “Poppyfields” serves as a stark reminder that no paradise is permanent, and everything will be reborn through ashes. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNot Here Not Gone\u003c\/em\u003e was recorded at Sonic Ranch outside of El Paso TX by Sonny Diperri (Narrow Head, DIIV, Emma Ruth Rundle), allowing the band to once again step outside of their comfort zone and isolate themselves in a place where they could focus exclusively on their art. The result is the crown jewel of Blackwater Holylight’s catalog—a rich and immersive study in tonal chiaroscuro, where light finds its way out of the shadows. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**PRE-ORDER SALES ARE FINAL**\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e**VINYL PIC IS A MOCK-UP IMAGE. FINISHED PRODUCT MAY VARY**\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Blackwater Holylight","offers":[{"title":"LP (180g Black Vinyl)","offer_id":44378099875882,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-NHNG-Vinyl-STANDARD-180G-BLACK","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Clear Vinyl)","offer_id":44038382256170,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-NHNG-Vinyl-STANDARD-CLEAR","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP (High-Melt Vinyl)","offer_id":43810550513706,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-NHNG-Vinyl-DLX-HIGH-MELT","price":33.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP (Transparent Red Vinyl)","offer_id":43810569781290,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-NHNG-Vinyl-STANDARD-RED","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":43810570010666,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-NHNG-CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":43810550546474,"sku":"SSQ-BlackwaterHolylight-NHNG-DIG","price":11.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/0276\/files\/SSQ248_BWHL_NHNG_COVER.jpg?v=1762390292"}],"url":"https:\/\/suicide-squeeze.myshopify.com\/collections\/blackwater-holylight.oembed","provider":"Suicide Squeeze","version":"1.0","type":"link"}