Time and changes distance Tamaryn’s Cranekiss from her earlier efforts, and… Read Full Bio ↴Time and changes distance Tamaryn’s Cranekiss from her earlier efforts, and for that matter, from everyone else’s. Time, by way of the long period spent crafting this material, both on her own and with Weekend’s Shaun Durkan, who with producer Jorge Elbrecht (Violens, Lansing-Dreiden), make up the creative team behind Cranekiss. Changes, by relocating across the country from San Francisco to New York City, by expanding the approach taken on her two previous albums (2010’s The Waves and 2012’s Tender New Signs), by making music that pulls you closer to it despite the enormity of the sounds within.

Tamaryn’s first two full-lengths stood out in a crowd of shoegaze/ethereal revivalists as much for what they were (careful, gorgeous, thrilling tapestries of guitar-based textures) as what they weren’t (simplistic, trendy, disposable signposts made to be broken). With Cranekiss, Tamaryn emerges from her past in a way that’s inviting, warm-blooded, and shockingly direct. She’s made a big record, loaded with samples, synth triggers and processing that was missing from her previous efforts, the result of long nights grinding it out at the Brooklyn studio Gary’s Electric, where the record was born. The Waves and Tender New Signs focused on the sounds Tamaryn and her group could coax out of guitars, but with Cranekiss her sonic palette has exploded with maniacal abandon, pressed into service of a post-adolescent love letter to all the music that she and her collaborators hold dear, drawing influences from the feelings that fell out of her. Anyone familiar enough with those times should be able to draw their own comparisons, recognizing the modes of musical respect and adoration flashing past as the record spins. From there, though, Tamaryn has modeled these elements into simulacra, where despite the nods and glances to the past, play as a totally new sound.

Lyrically, this is Tamaryn’s most personal collection of songs to date, and Elbrecht has placed her voice front and center across the entire record, elevating her presence like never before. Cranekiss explores dark rock, dance pop, and glistening melancholy with a uniformly commanding presence across it all, in stormy, unsettled brushstrokes that apply pressure behind Tamaryn’s words.

Cranekiss represents a long journey, and a new phase in Tamaryn’s music unfolding before you, a blood-red kaleidoscope of desire and late night abandon, a bold step forward.

www.tamarynmusic.com

The Waves
Tamaryn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come down to the surface
The surface reflects the light
Beneath the outer
The darkness obscures the light
Come down to the shallows in contours
Out of the rivers your sea pours
Wait for the water to claim you
Your sea returning

Into the waves
Into the wind waves
Curling heights

Back into the center
Receding from a further shore
Sinking familiar
Clinging to blackest floors
Come out to the shallows in contours
Into the rivers
Your sea pours
Wait for the water to claim you
Your sea returning

Into the waves
Curling heights

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tamaryn's "The Waves" seem to describe the experience of diving into the depths of one's own psyche. The opening lines "Come down to the surface, the surface reflects the light/beneath the outer, the darkness obscures the light" suggest that there is more to the self than what is visible on the surface. The singer urges the listener to explore the deeper layers that lie beyond everyday consciousness, where one can discover hidden truths and insights. This is reinforced by the recurring image of the sea, which can be seen as a metaphor for the subconscious mind that holds vast reserves of untapped potential.

The following lines "Come out to the shallows in contours/out of the rivers your sea pours/wait for the water to claim you/your sea returning/into the waves/into the wind waves/curling heights" could be interpreted as an invitation to immerse oneself fully in this journey of self-discovery. The singer encourages the listener to embrace the experience, even if it feels overwhelming, in order to fully tap into one's own potential. The repeated phrases "into the waves" and "curling heights" evoke the idea of being carried away by a powerful force that lifts the listener up and takes them to new heights.

Overall, the lyrics of "The Waves" suggest that there is more to the self than meets the eye, and that exploring the hidden depths within oneself can be a transformative experience that leads to new insights and perspectives.

Line by Line Meaning

Come down to the surface
Step out of your inner self and come out to your real self.

The surface reflects the light
Your real self shines and reflects the beauty within you.

Beneath the outer
Deep within ourselves.

The darkness obscures the light
The negativity inside ourselves hides our true nature and beauty.

Come down to the shallows in contours
Explore the edges of your soul.

Out of the rivers your sea pours
From your inner emotions comes great power.

Wait for the water to claim you
Wait for your emotions to take hold of you and guide you.

Your sea returning
Your emotions and power returning to you.

Into the waves
Let yourself be swept away by life's changes.

Into the wind waves
Allow the changing winds of time to guide you.

Curling heights
The ups and downs of life that shape us.