I’m sure that Duster’s career trajectory will be studied by PRs for years to come. The now somewhat commonplace phenomenon of the ‘relatively obscure 90s alternative band to TikTok darlings’ upswing is exemplified by this band. With a consistent output of lo-fi, lowkey slowcore in the 90s, Duster, in another universe, would’ve been a small cult band. And they were – until TikTok found them. Now they’re back and whilst I’ve liked their post-reunion material, I’ve never really loved any of it. The opening notes of their newest LP In Dreams, soon changed that.
‘Quiet Eyes’ opens on a lingering strum that immediately opens the floodgates to the rushing warm current that has always endeared me to this band. The way the bass hangs in the air as the guitar cascades around it is so comforting. At their best, Duster has always felt like watching a VHS of a cold winter from the comfort of a warm home – a sensation ‘Quiet Eyes’ has in spades. When the soft vocals emerge, it cements that this band has never missed a beat. ‘Quiet Eyes’ is classic Duster in all but release date.
‘Aqua Tofana’ is ghostly, the way guitar lines appear and disappear into a plume of mist. The title In Dreams is apt for the material on this record – not just because it sounds like it’s unfolding inside Silent Hill, but because to me it evokes the use of Roy Orbison’s song of the same name in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Duster always felt like a band who could, and should, have been playing in the Roadhouse at the end of an episode of Twin Peaks season 3. The fuzzy bassline shrouded in screeching noise that opens ‘No Feel’ exemplifies this, adding a twinge of darkness to the gentle indie rock proceedings. As the late, great David Berman once said; “The dream is not all dream.”
I think the song is a great example of Duster stepping aside briefly from the nostalgic sound of their 90s output whilst still sounding familiar. Subsequent track ‘Starting to Fall’ maintains a slight twinge of bitterness in its chord phrasings, whilst being much softer for the most part. ‘Cosmotransporter’ does exactly what it says on the tin, by which I mean transport you to the inside of a drifting space shuttle in a way that only songs like Black Sabbath’s ‘Planet Caravan’ have previously managed. The post-rock textures in the guitars and stuttering feedback really evoke being alone inside a spacecraft looking out over the celestial bodies. Duster’s special interest in cosmonautical theming is always nice to see return and this track is I think their best at capturing a strange mix of wonder, isolation and adulation.
Whilst some of the more recent Duster albums have left me pining for their old stuff, what interests me on this record is their forays into new territory. ‘Space Trash’ explores electronic material with guitars floating into the great beyond atop that foundation. It’s not a track that I see myself returning to much, but I was more stricken by this than most of the middle section of the record.
‘Baking Tapes’ might be one of my new favourite songs by the band. The opening chord progression is gorgeous, and when the song crashes in it introduces a blown out, spacey piece that eventually collapses back into sparse, reverby guitars. It’s proof that this band can still capture lightning in a bottle and makes me a million times more likely to return to this record in the future. ‘Poltergeist’ is as ghostly as its title suggests, with the spectre of a fizzing wall of noise phasing up as the gauzy track unfurls. Final track ‘Anhedonia’ fully culminates the album’s dreamlike feel however, with a lulling keys melody followed by the familiar guitar tone, whining out into infinity as indecipherable vocals lurk out of reach. Eventually everything is pulled out from under the keys and they jolt awake, restarting jarringly. The dream is over.
In Dreams is definitely my favourite Duster record in recent years, and whilst I’m still not head over heels for it there are tracks on here I definitely am. ‘Baking Tapes’ is worth the price of admission alone. It’s out on physical media now, and I’d definitely like to chuck this in a tape player whilst I try and get myself to sleep.
Duster: In Dreams – Out now (Numero Group)
