It's strange to listen to Allison Lorenzen's new song while sitting poolside in Las Vegas - the location in which I am constructing this premiere piece. Dream pop can shimmer and sparkle, sure, but more often the genre is seen as a branch of shoegaze - a melancholic or even brooding style of music. Like, doesn't Beach House require that they are allowed to perform in almost complete darkness? And yet, Lorenzen's sound contains a ray of hope, of brightness. The second single from her upcoming album is titled Be a Fortress, and the song is a manifesto of sorts - the artist letting go of the past, looking toward the future, and finding joy in that transition.
It's pretty clear from the opening verse that Be a Fortress is a breakup song. Lorenzen sings about "last times" and the "end of summer" which makes sense because she, herself, experienced the fracturing of a couple significant relationships while penning these lyrics. But she also "smiles as she walks away," and the song's title indicates strength found in this newfound independence. The music video embedded below shows Lorenzen exploring a green space, playful with shadows and the setting sun - pretty on-point imagery for the themes found in Be a Fortress. Her movements match the song's slow percussion and bending guitar - fluid, graceful, and free.
Here at DC we feel fortunate to premiere such beautiful works, and anticipate a stellar full-length from Lorenzen this fall on Whited Sepulchre Records. Be a Fortress reflects the joy and pain found in the forming and breaking of relationships. These emotions universal to us all are difficult to move though, but in Lorenzen's experience, they render stunning art.