Edmonton native Nathan Hewitt has been steadily releasing EPs for the last few years through his band Cheatahs, making waves and establishing a name in Britain's shoegaze scene. Their latest album, Mythologies, further develops the group's sound following their self-titled 2014 debut.
Lined with sonic nods to bands such as the Strokes and Deerhunter, Mythologies guides us through a fuzz-laden, reverberating tundra. The album's summed up in the thunderous "Murasaki," an echoing track that rustles to life with whistling sounds that hover over steady drums, Hewitt's Japanese lyricism and fizzing guitars.
Switching tonally between simple but punchy guitar hooks to more sentimental ethereal sounds, Mythologies impresses through unique lo-fi experimentations that are craftily patched together: "Red Lakes (Sternstunden)" features background vocals in German as the track performs its ambient wind down; the free-flowing guitars of "Seven Sisters" are punctuated by echoing steel drums; "Su-pra" finds a psychedelic trance. Experienced as a whole, Mythologies is a satisfyingly rich tapestry woven by a band who've found their strengths and honed them accordingly.
