Nylon Smile

'Under the moniker Nylon Smile, Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist Nikolas Soelter makes gauzy indie rock that falls somewhere between the music of Elliott Smith and Ovlov. Following 2018’s wonky, alluring Angel of Doubt EP, Soelter is back with two new singles, “Conduit” and “We Don’t Need a Reason.” On the former, a drum groove supports bleary synth sounds and pretty, harmonized vocals. The latter finds Soelter pairing shoegaze guitars and a dreamy arrangement that brings to mind a group like Swervedriver, or Nylon Smile’s LA peers like Orchin and Cryogeyser. “There must be a reason we’re still hanging on to this / We know that love’s naive but it was easy to forget / Walking to the car and it’s already on your lips,” he sings over dreamy, blown out chords. 

As a former member of the now-defunct Bay Area punk act Never Young, flirting with elements of emo is nothing new for Soelter. You can sense echoes of the ’90s Midwest underground in Nylon Smile’s mopey cool. Produced by Jay Som’s Melina Duterte, both tracks are simultaneously enchanting and commanding.

Of the songs, Soelter says, “‘Conduit’ is one of my favorite songs on the record. It’s got my friends Taylor and Chris singing with me, and my friend Pascal made these crazy synths that are sprinkled in there. Melina added in that big drop before the end of the song. I was so excited when I heard it. Both of these songs are kind of about the same thing, about giving yourself away to someone even when it’s not right for you, and trying to understand the part of you that’s inclined to do that.”

“Conduit” and “We Don’t Need a Reason” precede Waiting for Oblivion, which is expected to release on November 5 via Citrus City Records.'

(floodmagazine)