R.E. Seraphin has long been a quiet force in what could be called “paisley pop”; a shimmering, melodic strain of power pop rooted in ’70s and ’80s underground gems but filtered through a distinctly modern sensibility. With this double reissue of ‘Tiny Shapes’ and ‘A Room Forever,’ Seraphin demonstrates both a reverence for that lineage and a fearless willingness to push its boundaries. Listening to these recordings feels like rifling through the finest crates of overlooked pop history: hints of Big Star, The Only Ones, The Dream Syndicate, and Game Theory rise to the surface, yet nothing feels like simple evocation; his songs absorb the past without losing their individuality.
‘Tiny Shapes’ opens with the lead single, “Fortuna,” a perfect encapsulation of Seraphin’s evolving craft. Its breezy singalong chorus is buoyed by chain-delay guitar passages that function as hooks themselves, proving that Seraphin’s layering and textural sensibilities are as important as melody. Elsewhere, punchier tracks like “Exploding Head” and “Safe to Say” brim with an energetic restlessness reminiscent of ’80s misfits such as The Replacements; propulsive and slightly ragged, yet unmistakably tuneful. Throughout, Seraphin’s vocals occupy a fascinating space: neither fully muted nor animated, they hover between fey and disaffected, sugary yet world-weary, embodying a charisma that feels lived-in rather than performed. Across the album, tape hiss and subtle imperfections lend the music a rough intimacy, coloring the chiming jangle of guitars rather than letting it dominate, like sunlight diffused across frosted glass.
‘A Room Forever’ continues this exploration while nudging Seraphin into more atmospheric territory. Single “Leave Me in the Tide” captures the magic of late ’70s and early ’80s pop with a bass-led rhythm and guitars that crack open the chorus in bright, disorienting cascades; a sonic move recalling Robyn Hitchcock era Soft Boys. There is a faint dreaminess here, a nostalgia both simple and complex, amplified by Louis Crisitello’s Perpetual Doom visuals of waves, coastal imagery, and grain film. Original tracks like “Clock Without Hands” carry this aesthetic further, briskly washing through the air with jangle pop charm reminiscent of The La’s, but with Owen Adair Kelley’s warbling synthesizers providing subtle gravity. These tonal shifts demonstrate Seraphin’s deliberate evolution as a songwriter, showing that brevity and dreamlike texture can coexist without undermining melodic clarity.
Seraphin’s skill as an arranger shines through even more on his cover of Luna’s “Lost In Space.” Here, his touch is both respectful and transformative: he knows precisely where to accelerate, where to accentuate, and where to pare down, delivering a rendition that arguably surpasses the original in arrangement and energy. This acumen underscores a larger truth about Seraphin, he is a songwriter’s songwriter, someone who understands not just how to write a good song, but how to inhabit and reshape existing ones without losing their spirit.
The combined effect of ‘Tiny Shapes’ and ‘A Room Forever’ is revelatory. Seraphin balances simplicity and texture, nostalgia and innovation, propulsive energy and atmospheric space. His songs feel like living artifacts: jangled, fuzzy, slightly worn, yet brimming with intelligence and care. This double reissue is not just an enjoyable listen; it’s a masterclass in pop craft. It demonstrates how to honor a lineage while evolving within it, offering lessons on texture, timing, vocal delivery, and arrangement. While many contemporary acts attempt to replicate retro power pop, few internalize it with the depth and precision Seraphin displays here.
In the end, listening to ‘Tiny Shapes / A Room Forever’ is like stepping into a parallel pop history that never existed, or perhaps a history that always quietly simmered beneath the mainstream. It is an album that rewards keen ears and a love of detail. For those willing to dive in, it offers a singular joy: the rare pleasure of hearing a style fully understood, lovingly executed, and subtly reinvented for the present day.
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