"Liminal People" by NEWMOON
Particularly pleasing to listen to with a good pair of headphones, Temporary Light is a pensive wall of shoegaze sound from Belgium’s NEWMOON. You’ll hear “Liminal People” at the end of side A of the vinyl and at the top of episode 18 of blank mood. As the song title suggests, “Liminal People” works around the idea of liminal or in between spaces.
“The lyrics mainly deal with everyday actions that negatively impact the world around you without even realizing it,” explained Bert Cannaerts, one of two vocalists and guitarists of the band. “Things like littering or being annoyed at the casher; just moving through life in a very narcissistic way.”
With layers of guitars “Liminal People” offers plenty of space for sonic discovery through active listening. Sparse with lyrics, but brimming with emotion, the songs conveys a space that is glum, but hopeful… or temporarily each.
“Musically it’s a song that’s a bit more conspicuous on first listen,” said Bert. “Only after repeated listens do you start to pick up on some of the details and nuances. Originally the song had more lyrics, but it felt a bit too much so we drastically cut them out, which gave the song a much more abstract feeling.”
The whole spectrum of Temporary Light is layered with nuances, thus my recommendation for headphones. If you’re a fan of The Daysleepers, I think you’ll like NEWMOON’s Temporary Light.
NEWMOON has live dates in a handful of European cities this autumn, including their home base Antwerp on 4 October 2024. Hope to see you there! In the meantime, get out yer headphones and listen to Temporary Light.