Baltimore's Indie Rock/Pop Duo Underlined Passages Release New Track 'Silverlake'

Since the release of their 2015 self-titled debut album, Baltimore's indie rock duo Underlined Passages has been developing a reputation for their guitar driven and lush emotionally intense music. Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Michael Nestor and percussionist Jamaal Turner, the duo continues to deliver songs that resonate, with a fusion of soulful, borderline-wistful vocals, catchy and twangy guitars, and tight drums on their upcoming new album, "Tandi My Dicafi", which will be released on September 15th on Mint 400 Records.

Recorded and mixed by Frank Marchand (The Thermals, Bob Mould) from April-June 2017, according to Michael, on "Tandi My Dicafi", Underlined Passages presents a "sonic palette filled with nods to mid-80's Flying Nun Records, mid aughts sweater indie rock, and modern alternative rock music." He continues, "We wanted the album to be sonically heavier, and more dynamic than our last, 'The Fantastic Quest'", but still in tune with the core sound that is Underlined Passages. The record is the audio culmination of the last six months of our ups, downs, gains, and losses. Its creation served as our catharsis through the emotional roller coaster we as a band have endured. Jamaal lost his wife in tragic freak car accident right before we went into the studio in April 2017, and we struggled to find our footing. This record was like an emotional foundation upon which we could walk step by step out of that tragedy for our band family."

Simultaneously heavy and ethereal, the eight tracks on "Tandi My Dicafi" ebb and flow from softened layers of melody to frenetic shreds of distortion to catchy, twangy pop. Igniting a shared emotional connection, the band takes their listeners along their journey from song to song.

One of the highlights of the album is the track "Silverlake". "This song is all about the transition from young adulthood to adulthood. The title comes from a suburb of Los Angeles where there is a subset of people at the intersection between 'hipsterism' and paying a mortgage and all those conflicting values. This is what we currently struggle with as a band of mid 30's gentlemen. The Duplass Brothers' HBO show "Togetherness" inspired this song completely. It all comes down to the chorus, 'I just want you to say, it will all be OK'".

Here's a link to stream "Silverlake":

https://soundcloud.com/underlinedpassages/silverlake-1/s-pK7TT

Another track, "Your Bedroom", is "Sonically the intersection between where Underlined Passages is and where Underlined Passages is going", he says. "It represents the dividing line between our last album, 'The Fantastic Quest', and this one. It's about how I felt at 18 in my first girlfriend's bedroom, and how I still feel now that I am older. That special conflict you have right after high school and right before college. Where you have to put away the old and start with the new. But the new is in some sense the old. Again, the theme here is transition. The chorus, 'Carry on...', is us telling ourselves that in all that identity crisis, the only thing to do is to move forward into the new."

Recognized for his work as the main songwriter, singer and guitarist for acclaimed band The Seldon Plan (2002-2011) and Pupa's Window (1994-2008), Michael also ran the well regarded Beechfields Record Label from 2003-2011. He formed Underlined Passages in 2014 and recruited ex-Seldon Plan drummer Frank Corl to make their self-titled debut album, recorded by Frank Marchand. After the record was created, he met New Jersey indie rock veteran Neil Sabatino of Mint 400 Records and was signed to the label, with no real band behind it. After signing, Michael began to support the record, with some urging from Mint 400, by recruiting a bassist and drummer for the band.

Michael and Jamaal, the current iteration of Underlined Passages, met months after the release of the band's 2015 self-titled album. After the departure of the band's then drummer and still having to support a tour, Jamaal was brought on to finish. Not originally intended to be the recording lineup, the band bonded and crafted a unique musical style over the course of the live shows during the tour. Using the momentum and the sound honed on the road, they created the 2016 album, "The Fantastic Quest", which received an enthusiastic response from the media.

With a friendship enduring through thick and thin, the collective weight of their experiential journey is fully on display with "Tandi My Dicafi". Halfway between indie rock and tonal exploration, the new record is sure to appeal to the hearts and minds of listeners with familiar emotions: longing, wonder, ennui and joy.

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