The music of Glacier Veins is an emotive oasis in what is so often a barren musical landscape. Pensive, dynamic songwriting interwoven with the gorgeously wistful vocals of Malia Endres makes the band an absolute gemstone in a scene laden with river rock.
Sometimes I wish I lived closer to the city. In my case, that city would be Portland, Oregon. Granted, Central Oregon is coming in its own, there remains an unquenched thirst for a greater, more diverse music scene. And, perhaps in time, this will become further realized within and more widely acknowledged by the world beyond its borders.
Portland, much like Seattle, is one of the greatest music hubs in the country. The Pacific Northwest has a certain magic about it – they call it “wonderland” for a reason. Subsequently, it has birthed some of the most revered musicians in generations past and present. Glacier Veins is from Portland.
Polaris Hall is where I was introduced to the band although, sadly, I could not travel to see their performance. Nevertheless intrigued, I had to resort to the likes of Bandcamp and Spotify to discover what this band had to offer. Their name suits them well.
“Moments unfold. Map leads to gold... so treasured the connections that I hold.”
“Autonomy” opens their latest album Lunar Reflection, and it hooks you from the moment Malia’s entrancing vocals enter your ear canals. Her lush voice is accompanied by the strum of shoegaze-tinged guitars to create a dreamy, nostalgic aura that sets the mood for the rest of the song and, for that matter, the entire album.
Nostalgia summarizes the bittersweet act of turning inward to reflect on one’s life – past, present, with a probable future in mind – and the whole of emotions that get churned up during the process. This spells out the journey Lunar Reflection takes its listener on. An experience beginning today as it stands before you, perhaps many years since your first Saturn return, and barely recognizing your own reflection in the mirror. Go deeper...
“Wanna dive deeper. Self, please don’t linger...”
With your past laid out before you, you cannot resist the urge to critique each decision that led you here, to this moment, leading you to ponder every chance never taken. The burning regrets of what could have been revealed in the scars you brandish from the inside. This is you. This is us. So, what do we have left?
“What I’ve got to give... is it all to this moment,” Malia sings reassuringly.
Answer: This moment. The now. And all the tomorrows that will come to greet us, but for a limited time only.
“Autonomy” is an anthem for us to embrace as we confront ourselves day in, day out – sometimes in question of what all we have left to give in a world that never hesitates to take... it reminds us that we still have ourselves in this moment. What we choose from this point moving forward is all that matters, despite our missing parts.