Her Vanished Grace - Twilight

Although being around for nearly 15 years, this is the first time I’ve ever had a chance to hear Her Vanished Grace, the husband/wife tandem of Charles and Nance Nieland. The band has released a number of records together over the years, developing a respectable cult following. Their album Twilight serves as their latest, released just at the end of ’07, and is my introduction to the band. First and foremost I got to respect a band that has spent so many years playing music that they genuinely love, even if it comes at the expense of accessibility and maybe even a larger audience. That obviously takes dedication. Her Vanished Grace, from what I can tell, has been putting out their brand of finely crafted shoegaze/dream-pop tunes for awhile now and look to have no plans of stopping on Twilight.

Featuring the warm and recognizable fuzz of shoegaze’s past, Twilight wraps it in a welcome influence of eighties new wave with a hint of Cocteau Twins-esque looming in the background. One thing I did notice was the front end of Twilight is surprisingly riff heavy drawing the majority of its power from that source as opposed to a cacophonous swirl. As the album progresses though, the band eases into calmer shoegaze/dream-pop territory and is where it really begins to take hold. The albums closer “Alone” is a highlight, showcasing some of the bands stronger qualities and is also where the band is at its most ethereal.

Her Vanished Grace – Twilight [MP3]
Her Vanished Grace – Alone [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Twilight, it can be currently had on CD Baby. Definitely check it out for those that are fans of a bit harder edged shoegaze sound. Enjoy!