As “Pure” began to play through my headphones for the very first time, a midday thunderstorm offered momentary relief from the summer heat.
It was a serendipitous moment that could not have been more appropriate for the latest single from Dottie.
The new song’s luminescent shoegaze sound enveloped me, just like the storm above, bringing a feeling of sincere comfort and peace as the constraining fever of a warm summer day lifted away.
The work offers a meditative soundscape, filled with hidden notes and textures throughout—just waiting for the listener to explore.
Adorned with miniature crescendos and radiant reverb, the echo of the song reflects the red riverbeds and canyon curves formed by the waterways of Central Texas.
The project, deeply rooted in the traditions of ambient and dream pop, is a solo endeavor from Haley Davidson, an Austin-based musician with a strong DIY approach to making music. Davidson has been releasing music under the moniker since 2017.
As implied by the piece’s heavenly subject matter, the sound of the new single evokes a sense of being beyond the physical, encouraging the listener to dwell on what lies beyond.
Like all great shoegaze or ambient music, it urges the mind to wander in the space between spaces, in the deepest, darkest corners of our consciousness.
It’s where we do all of our best thinking.
And as the summer rain, joined by a distant rolling thunder, accompanied my first listen, it led me only further to this conclusion.
