Glitter Etiquette just released their new album CERULEAN – Deep Blue on May 28, 2025!
CERULEAN – Deep Blue captures a unique blend of dreamy indie vocals and buzzy instrumentation reminiscent of experimental noise music. This is dreamy indie pop in a form unlike much of what is on the scene today. The vocals give a soft delivery at most points that contrasts with the buzz of the instrumentation, and it’s done in a way that pulls out and accentuates each sound. Additionally, the influences evolve as the album moves along, allowing for some buzzy, noisy high points and more introspective lows where the smooth, washed-out vocals find a way to stand out. The experimentation and production value also lend a bit of an 80s influence to something that feels new.
Lyrically, the vocals take the forefront at times and fade back into the others. This allows the music to shine and also builds an introspective nature to things. Lyrically, the band says that this “album contrasts the tranquil, expansive hue of blue (cerulean) with the ominous force of darkness through the metaphoric red army, portraying a cosmic battle between clarity, empathy, and depth versus aggression, ego, and decay.” This contrast can be heard in the musicianship alone with the aforementioned difference in sound between the instrumentals and vocals.
Every track in this album finds its way to stand out from the rest, but there’s a lot of meat to get through, so here are some of the highlights!
Cows – “Cows” is a great opener in the way that it sets the stage for the rest of the album in terms of both sound and lyricism. The sound that starts things establishes the almost futuristic synth sounds with a buzz and distortion mixed with the ethereal indie vocals. The chorus stands out as catchy, and the instrumental at 01:45 establishes musical dynamics that give a focus on each person’s role in crafting the music. This use of instrumental portions continues throughout the album and highlights experimental tones. Lyrically, it uses poeticism with references to cows and UFOs, and love. Additionally, its music video’s shaky camera work, natural location shooting, and production play into the overall vibe of the track.
BLUE PLASTIC – Something about “BLUE PLASTIC” that immediately stands out is the opening guitars, less distorted than much of the album. Rather than being pushed forward with tempo, it pulls back compared to much of the album with a bit of a softer sound. The pulled back use of distortion really highlights Glitter Etiquette’s ability to develop a clean mix, the stereo and leveling properly utilized for the little intricacies in the instrumentation to pop out. Lyrically, it speaks of dreams, going to the sea to float, counting clouds on a spinning world, and going somewhere to never return.
A PLACE… – This track is unique from the rest with its opening, the guitars and synths giving a powerful 80s sound, but the bass provides a bit more of an early 2000s rock sound. It transcends eras from the start, but then there’s an evolution in the sound as it moves forward, as the washed-out indie rock vocal becomes more apparent, still paired with the 80s synths. Then at 02:40, the vocals get a filter that sounds like an old school radio, and stereo panning pulls instrumental sounds around in the space. This breaks into an instrumental portion that plays with noise and dissonance for an off-putting feeling that’s done right.
Burning Planet – The closing track in this album is “Burning Planet.” The bass in this track takes on a deeper buzz than many of the tracks in this album, but the lyrics take on a bit more of a bright and full sound and allow them to stand out even more. This is important as things close out, as it really allows the narrative to give its final tale. Also, the energy control in this one does great with some slow builds that finish with the right punches. Lyrically, it depicts a tale of a sun getting hotter as Summers grow longer and Winters grow shorter while ocean levels rise and forests fall. Basically, it uses vivid imagery to capture a story of global warming and its effects on the planet.
Though this captures a bit about the intrigue this album has, there’s so much to explore with 9 tracks total. The dreamy, introspective tales do well in using poeticism to make a point without being too direct. In doing so, there’s quite a bit of repeatability to the whole piece front to back. This is an album not to be missed, and it uses influences from different timeframes and genres to make a sound not quite like anything you may have heard before.
Written by Sage Plapp
Where to find Glitter Etiquette
