Pia Fraus - Empty Parks

Release date: 1/20/20.

Limited edition of 100 hand numbered silver vinyl LP, 500 hand numbered black vinyl LP and 500 hand numbered CD. 200 hand numbered orange vinyl LP now sold out.

Genre: Dreampop, Shoegaze

Tracklisting: 01. Hidden Parks 02. Love Sports 03. Slow Boat Fades Out 04. Mr. Land Freezer 05. Sweet Sunday Snow 06. The New Water 07. Paper Flower Projects 08. You're Not in Love 09. Nice and Clever 10. Late Summer Night 11. Australian Boots

Following the release of their long-awaited Field Ceremony, Pia Fraus are back with a new LP entitled Empty Parks. This time, the band consists of Eve Komp (vocals, synth), Kärt Ojavee (synth), Rein Fuks (guitar, vocals, synth, tambourine, shaker), Reijo Tagapere (bass), Joosep Volk (drums, electronic percussions), and Kristel Eplik (backing vocals). Volk is back on drums for the first time since 2002’s In Solarium and, of course, the original singer Kristel Eplik provides backup vocals which brings back a nostalgic lineup for this album’s recording. “Empty Parks” takes the listener on a different journey than prior Pia Fraus full lengths. The album begins with an underlying, mild sense of melancholy. The bright, effervescent guitars and vocals are recognizable in a way that only Pia Fraus can make them, but they bounce off a bit of minor chording and slight tension. It’s a beautiful balancing act the band keeps until that bright poppiness returns almost entirely in tracks like “Sweet Sunday Snow” and “Paper Flower Projects”. An emotional ride every fan will want to take, and new fans will be impressed with, the song arrangements on the album are in perfect order and the stand-out standards are equally thrilling. Hidden Parks may be the band’s best outing yet and is most certainly a reflection and soundtrack to the events going on worldwide. Pia Fraus "Empty Parks" is produced and mixed by John McEntire at Soma Electronic Music Studios and mastered by Lauri Liivak at Lauri Liivak Mastering Studio. John McEntire is one of the most important producers and sound engineers in the indie scene since the nineties. He has engineered, produced, and mixed albums for many artists including Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub, Broken Social Scene, Jaga Jazzist, Smog (Bill Callahan), and of course his own Tortoise and Sea and Cake.