Written by: Alex Green

On a busman’s holiday from his band Echo Texture, singer/songwriter Jalal Andre’s new project marks a creative leap forward into a whole new universe.

And that leap is no accident.

Yearning to explore previously unexplored sonic terrain, the Seattle-based Andre, now operating under the sobriquet of gloryBots, cooked up an otherworldly blend of angular post-punk and dreamy grooves all set against dramatic soundscapes that sound positively otherworldly.

That otherworldly vibe is exactly what Andre is after. Falling somewhere between Dark Side Of The Moon and Bauhaus’ Sky’s Gone Out, gloryBots’ Dark Alien Pop is a positively mesmerizing debut that brings to mind the limitlessness of the universe and the very terrestrial troubles of the earthly heart.

The album’s first single “Dream About Nothing” is powered by a prowling bassline and a jangling chorus that brings to mind Crocodiles-era Echo and the Bunnymen. It’s a spry pop number that’s as catchy as it is thoughtful and it suggests that the quotidian life may trick us into thinking we’re accomplishing so much, but in reality, we’ve lost the whimsical nature to imagine the magic and mystery of the world around us.

Dark Alien Pop will be out later this year.