My Nguyen 
Seattle’s Fotoform, a husband/wife-led outfit, returns with their sophomore album Horizons. Keeping the music consistently post-punk and shoegaze, Kim House reels it in with her contributions on bass, vocals, synths and guitars while Geoffrey Cox’s soaring guitar riffs take you to the next level. But it is Michael Schorr (former member of Death Cab for Cutie) who anchors you to reality. His percussion holds you steady as the beautiful and ethereal music floats all around you.
Horizons starts off with “Shadows Spread,” as some bass from House lights up the sounds here. Next, some moving displays of guitar undulate for a rousing introduction. Once House’s ethereal-sounding vocals come in, you can’t get away from the dreamy sounds. The drumming was also fantastic coming from Schorr. The drumming beats really set the tone for this track. The surreal and atmospheric vibes really resonated with me. I could easily get lost in the sounds.
More bass and drums settle into the groove on the start of “Running.” Slowly, House’s ghostly vocals start to evolve. The music then grows and grows in tone as some guitars wander in. The spacious melodies on this song pointed to a very haunting sound. More of the band’s dynamic energy is realized on “Too Late.” There is an uptick in pacing, producing a more pop-based vibe here, but the ethereal and dream-like notes remain the same. The band’s lush and moving sound had a great flow to it. I felt myself being carried away by the music. The reverb-drenched guitars sounded really great here too.
Some drumming beats are introduced on “You Set Fire To The Sun.” Up next are House’s evocative vocals. The sound is loose and free. The track brings into sharp focus House’s other-worldly vocals. Her immediate sound is something to behold. As synths enter the sounds on “We Only Have So Long,” the album’s shoegaze-y notes continue on here. There was a meandering tone to the music as slowly guitars, drums and more synths entered for a compelling feel. This was a very retro-sounding track that recalled the ‘80s to me. There was also a lulling sense to the vocals that brought to mind someone singing their lover to sleep. A heart-wrenching quality to the vocalizations suggested some very urgent themes.
Shimmering guitars open up “Shut Out The World.” As the sound builds and builds, a fuller band backing sound comes through. House’s ethereal vocals cast an unearthly tone over this dreamy song. I was caught up by the atmospheric melodies and harmonies.
On “Digging Trenches,” some progressive notes come from the guitars on this intricate track. The lush and other-worldly vocal harmonies from House arrests from the start. Soaked in reverb and synths, the band’s immediate sound is fantastic. Toward “Take,” some bass lines grow into a hypnotic strand of music. Once House’s airy vocals come in, you can feel the vibes slowly surround you. The rhythms from the bass continue persistently alongside some percussive beats. The swirls of sound meander for a bit, adding to the dreamy vibes. More monotonous bass settles in towards the start of “We Crystallize.” Gradually, House’s dazzling vocalizations come in, casting a very surreal and out-of-this-world vibe. The sparse sound pointed to more range in emotional resonance. The band ends on a very poignant note with this thought-provoking closer.
Fotoform’s dreamy work on Horizons has a way of connecting with audiences right away. Right from the start, once the inclusion of synths, bass and guitars hits you on the opening track “Shadows Spread,” the dream continues all the way until the conclusion. Once the last note lands, you will be wishing this dream will never end. With lyrics that talk about love, loss and grief, Fotoform’s lush and unearthly sound has a way of revealing to us the subtler moments in our lives that words have no way of expressing. With Horizons, the band has made tangible these unspoken instances and as they dig further into their sound, you can tell this is a band with a whole lot going for them. This was a beautiful record from start to finish and I look forward to seeing more from them soon.
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