Spacey but not alienating, loud yet still light, painting expansive and vivid vistas of sound against a sweepingly dynamic and melodic backdrop, Moving Panoramas make captivating dream rock from Austin, Texas. The band is poised to release their second album, In Two, which will take flight on February 22nd via Modern Outsider Records.

The Big Takeover is extremely pleased to host the premiere of In Two in its entirety. Sky-wide sonics, propulsive tempos, kinetic rhythms, sweet, heathery vocals, and a shadowy Western plains atmosphere move through the LP. The instrumentation creates a rich and textured picture that is accentuated by the warm and beguiling vocals.

Capturing the tumult of new, on-going, and ending relationships, Moving Panoramas utilize their rich and spirited sound and songwriter Leslie Sisson’s vulnerable, relatable lyrics and emotions to relay this turmoil that we all grapple with when navigating matters of the heart.

Album opener “Baby Blue” runs free across the sonic landscape, moving at a cantering pace. The rubbery bass line pushes forward in time with the active drum strikes as extended, wavering organ notes (which turn psychedelically swirling at song’s end) and Sisson’s dreamily airy vocals floating over the mix.

C&W-tinged indie popper “Dance Floor” is a joyous whirl with an uplifting tempo and full instrumentation. Sisson’s vocals are sweet and enticing, as she calls out amid the subdued organ notes and fluid guitar lines to, “What are you waiting for? / Now your time to get on the dance floor.”

“Home Alone” sounds like a classic indie rock track filtered through a funhouse of heightened synth waves. Vibrating organ notes shake the house down on the sweeping number that flies to the skies with Sisson’s warm vocal projections.

Mellifluous guitar chime rides with a rapid pace through the bittersweet and dreamy highlight “On Hold”, which dazzles with Sisson’s heathery, crestfallen exclamations. Gorgeous guitar crescendos and regretful lyrics about love and loss pull at the heartstrings and don’t let go.

Torch ballad “Forever Gone” burns with a bright light, swinging with reverb guitar twang and Sisson’s rueful tone about, “chasing dreams” that don’t exist anymore.

Even with a more direct vocal approach, like on the verses of “What Now”, Sisson’s velvety, breathy delivery curls around the listener like a cozy, plush blanket. Her vocals diffuse like a perfumed aerosol that hangs hazily and enticingly in the air.

Kicky rocker “ADD Heart” deals with rocky relationships head-on, with Sisson demanding, “Give me some attention / Give me a connection / Give me a reaction…” to an indecisive paramour. The rapid pace doesn’t let up, as the song gallops to the finish line with an emphatically smacked drum beat, running bass line, and country guitar twang.

Sisson sings in a deeper register on “Beautiful Sad”, a track that once again races out of the gate with fast drum strikes and quickly strummed reverb guitar. “Whisky Fight” calms it down just a tad, still fleet on its feet, but circling with a nocturnal vibe in the synth and steel guitar lines. Sisson’s sing-talking vocals are hushed as she takes on the issue of drinking and how difficult it is to break out of the cycle of alcohol abuse.

Last track “In Tune” is positively laid-back compared to the previous ten songs as it flows with a trip-hop drum beat and liquid guitar lines. Sisson is backed by male vocal support this time around, which adds a shadowy touch to her light tone. Entering into a relationship trepidatiously, Sisson worries, “I can’t make the same mistakes with you”, wondering if the object of her affection will always “be true.”

Moving Panoramas being began in Brooklyn, where Leslie Sisson lived while playing in a number of touring bands. She came back to her home state of Texas to be closer to her family and her relocation led to an array of songs that shaped the birth of the band. The debut LP One, released on Modern Outsider Records in 2015, conjured a wave of dream gaze and international acclaim.

As life would have it, unexpected roadblocks arose during production of the second album, with health hiccups and timing twists causing release detours. Fortunately, the finish line has been crossed and In Two was recorded with One engineer Louie Lino at Resonate in Austin and mixed by Danny Reisch at Good Danny’s in Lockhart.

Moving Panoramas split One veritably In Two with the new record, expanding room for more diversity, rhythm, volume, and instrumentation such as the swimmy pedal steel and a list of special guests that includes Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, Sabrina Ellis of A Giant Dog/Sweet Spirit, and past Panoramas Karen Skloss, Jolie Flink, and Laura Colwell. Over the years, the band’s lineup featured a moving cast of magical, busy talent, but has luckily landed on the incredibly solid current Baby Blues crew with Cara Tillman, Rosie Castoe, Jordan Rivell, Jody Suarez, and Phil McJunkins.

Pre-order LINK for In Two

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