When I caught up with Sour Notes frontperson Jared Boulanger prior to the release of their latest LP last year, he talked at length about how the new equipment he’d been acquiring since their last release had helped him reinvent the band’s sound while reinvigorating his songwriting. For the Sour Notes that reinvigoration manifested in a greater guitar presence, but the equipment bug rarely bites once and it seems that Jared and longtime Sour Notes bassist Amarah Ulghani have collaborated on a 7-inch of more electronically leaning music under the moniker of Memory Keepers.
Featuring mostly digital instrumentation and distorted vocals, Memory Keepers fondly recalls 10,000hz Legend era Air for me. “No Distractions” opens the record with poppy old school synth beats and distortion that reminded me of the more danceable industrial tracks I used to listen to in college. Side two’s “Tickling Air” is more ambient affair, complete with drones and a relaxed tempo. Memory Keepers is definitely a departure from Sour Notes, but Jared and Amarah bring to it the same level of attention and experitise. Listen for yourself in this exclusive preview and then catch the group at Swan Dive on March 23rd and at Beerland on April 21st for the single’s release party: