The Virginia Planes – The Siren Call

German shoegaze duo The Virginia Planes are back with more excellent music. This time, they unleashed their rendition of “The Siren Call,” originally performed by the Belgian hardcore group Powerstroke. Although the original song carries a decent amount of calmness and soothingness, presented through the outstanding vocal performance, it’s safe to say that The Virginia Planes entirely nailed that ethereal, nearly cathartic sound that will appeal to all the die-hard fans of shoegaze and dream pop music. Of course, these two versions differ in aggression and arrangements. While the Powerstroke almost solely relies upon occasional screams, shouts, a generous amount of distortion, and blastbeats, The Virginia Planes offer that characteristic mesmerizing sonic landscape where the marvelous vocal harmonies and relaxing instrumentations strike all the senses.

The otherwordly vocal harmonies are The Virginia Planes’ heaviest weaponry. Both vocalists keep their performances cathartic by balancing low, mid, and high notes with such ease. They sing in unison, constructing a colossal wall of mindblowing vocal articulations that guide the listeners through every segment while simultaneously adding a subtle touch of complexity to an easy-listening composition. They also paid attention to the sonic output, so you’ll notice how every instrument has its place and purpose in this mindblowing sonic equation. The semi-distorted and heavily distorted chord progressions, harmonies, melodies, themes, and leads act as a perfect backdrop for all the mentioned singing maneuvers, while the keyboards come like a cherry on the top by delivering magnificent melodies and ambiances. This interplay between keys and guitars works to the advantage of the song, enhancing the listening experience on an entirely new level. It’s also good to mention that The Virginia Planes pay homage to the eighties shoegaze and the nineties alternative rock music while simultaneously bringing modern sound to the table. Anyone even remotely into songwriting, composing, arranging, recording, and producing knows that’s a difficult task to achieve, but they ultimately succeed in it.

Of course, this composition wouldn’t be complete without a heavy, robust, groovy rhythm section. You’ll hear how the equally complex, vividly hearable, warm-sounding basslines roar beneath the other orchestrations, supplying more heaviness, clarity, and depth to the mix. The exceptional drumming performance based on moderate, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics dictates groove and pace but also keeps the remaining instrumentations in line. Everything sounds top-notch from beginning to end, and The Virginia Planes thoroughly planned every vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuver. You should put their version of “The Siren Call” on your radar if you’re into majestic and otherwordly shoegaze/dream pop sound because this fine piece of sonic artistry carries all the vital elements of these music genres. The single is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!