When you press play and the subtle melodies start kicking in, awash with warm melodies backed by ethereal vocals, then you know that you are in for one memorable listening experience, and to look at that track list and discover that you are about to get an indescribably sensational 52 minutes + cathartic listening experience from a total of 21 songs is enough to give you an eargasm.
This music by Nikolai Kravchuk is not your average type of music; this music comes from a personal place that breeds honest lyrics. This is like an open book or diary into the life of Nikolai, with the very dark pages of his life making most chapters. As he delivers deep into the creative process with the stylistic caliber that only shoegaze, slowcore, and space rock afford with picturesque Lo-fi psychedelic rock sensibilities, “Rattle – Bones” becomes a projection of a very dark phase in his life—a peak into a life that has seen him stare down the demons that many would be destroyed by.
In the making of this album, he wanted to create something that so many listeners could resonate with. The truth of the matter is, we are facing more darkness than light, and we could use something therapeutic—something that inspires us to keep pushing and something that makes us feel less alone. “Rattle – Bones” is your therapy.
With a characteristic instrumental highlight such as the live, sometimes distorted guitars over the ethereal mixture of obscured vocals and effects, feedback, and blurred distinctions, you get to be transported to a hurtful world, you get to be put in Nikolai’s shoes and made to look through different lenses…now that’s a rare talent!
“Rattle – Bones” incorporates songs that reflect different battlefronts ranging from an imminent mental health crisis, loss of loved ones, depression, addiction, and other internal struggles. However, the album also evokes a positive and motivational tone towards conquering such frontlines and inspires the listener- offering that sense of enduring victory over internal cataclysm and conquering such adversities and other mental health issues.
This is an impassioned performance that is full of bloodletting full of frankness and vulnerability that listeners battling similar emotional storms might be able to find comfort in. By writing from his personal experiences and finding strength in his pain and vulnerability, “Rattle – Bones” is a musical approach that provides a sense of familiarity that anyone battling depression can gravitate toward!
And this is no less than you could expect from Nikolai Kravchuk; an artist who is unapologetically himself, and that is what makes his genre-bending music so special. His unbridled passion for crafting music that resonates with everyone is evident in each of the tracks that make up this album. His dedication to his craft is also truly inspiring!
What sets Nikolai Kravchuk apart from other artists is his authenticity and the way he is not shy about sharing his personal experiences and emotions by wearing his heart on his sleeve, and that is what makes an album like “Rattle – Bones” so relatable.
His music speaks to its listener on a deep and personal level, and his dedication to the purity of indie and alternative rock allows him to sit at the threshold of nostalgic musical excellence.
By breaking from the repetitive chaos of grunge rock to offer slowcore and space rock with Lo-Fi inflections, this collection is intoxicating, emotional, and deeply resonant.
Already streaming on all the popular platforms, it’s about damn time that you got acquainted with “Rattle – Bones” in its entirety; relish in every second because you don’t know when music like this will come around again!
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