Premiere: Goodbye Chanel - Divine

Goodbye Chanel (real name Scott Johnson) recently relocated to Newcastle from Leeds and at the same time totally transformed his modus operandi. Back then, he was a member of relatively unproductive New Wave band Aviaries. Now, he’s pitched up in more propitious territory with a sun-dappled, lo-fi solo project. Forthcoming EP ‘Through Night To Paradise’, mastered by Tom Woodhead from ¡Forward, Russia!, pushes on from his early Soundcloud demos and blends a unique criss-cross of pop hooks and melancholic fidgets. While singles Liefe and Kalifornia have more in common with Spectrals’ garage-born surf-pop, standout track Divine leans more towards early, introspective Youth Lagoon. Much like the latter, this is a deeply personal adventure with simple motifs, self-reflection and discovery among them. Every detail has been thought through, and every word painstakingly measured. Combining simple handclaps, breezy synth lines, uplifting guitar, and closing off with the distant yawps of a preacher man in Bath, the result is delicate, affecting and all the more addictive for it. Produced by Jaymz Dean, also an ex-member of Aviaries, the result is a suitable accompaniment to a summery morning-after.

Goodbye Chanel will release ‘Through Night To Paradise’ via Bandcamp on 12th August 2013.