Words: Kristopher English / @kenglish47 // Cover Image / Alexa Viscius
- ‘On a Spanish Dune’ is the latest and much-anticipated release from the Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist.
- The track is his sophomore release.
- FFO: Whitney, Julia Jacklin, Cass McCombs.
Liam Kazar hasn’t yet hit 30, but he’s already been a staple in the Chicago music scene for over a decade. From his start in the hip-hop group Kids These Days (which featured Vic Mensa), to his recent tours with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Liam has long been a diverse, creative force. And now, after years of exciting and memorable projects, we’re fortunate enough to witness him fully step out into his own. What a delight it has been so far.
His first solo release this April, ‘Shoes Too Tight’, is a jaunty throwback. The song’s sound is the life of the party and the introspective outsider wrapped into one. The music video, directed by Chicago’s Austin Vesely (who helmed the A24’s ‘Slice’) is visually stunning and elevates the song to a different stratosphere. Even Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard is onboard, as he was quick to praise and promote the song upon its release, giving it a unique, if not random, pop culture jolt.
Liam’s freshly released second single, ‘On a Spanish Dune’, is a much more contemplative and reserved effort, showing depth and grace in its lyrics and stylings. Over gentle guitar strumming, technicolour synths, and a hushed piano line, Liam creates a vivid world to get lost in. He sings about turning to the moon, cicadas sighing, the river’s mouth, and “being a poem with an open line”. With nature as its canvas, the song evokes a relatable, melancholic-tinged journey into an uncertain future, one that, thanks to Liam’s illustrative storytelling and lush instrumentation, we should be pleased to join him on.