If Bandcamp had never of emerged, some truly astonishing LP’s would never have been revealed to us all. Lane Mueller’s debut LP is the personification of what Bandcamp is all about.

It’s bewildering to imagine a world, where an artist can’t share their music with everyone any more. All the way back in 1992, the idea that anyone could share music to the world, would have been a pipe dream.

Now in 2016, 24 years later, Lane Mueller’s debut LP is a complete dream come true.

As mentioned in our Bandcamp Presents… the sound of Candy Cigarettes alludes to single genres as a collective, rather than having a single running genre throughout. The steady flow of contemporary influences, channelled together with traditional practices, leads Candy Cigarettes into a realm of disconcerting wonder. Mueller’s work speaks louder as this unified collective, rather than as single contemporary idioms.

The joining of genres throughout Candy Cigarettes is what separates this album from the rest of Bandcamp.

Spanning the lucidity of dream pop together with the whaling guitars of rock, Candy Cigarettes is completely exuberant in its insatiable lust for astounding music. Opener Selling Price, exudes this very energy, opening to the immediacy of Mueller’s guitar work and roaring vocals in a matter of seconds, colliding into a collection of spiralling electronics and charging percussion, as it begins the journey into this spectacular debut.

Following tracks Backseat and My 45 transfer the pace into a steadier rhythm, as Backseat plays with voice manipulation which welcomes in jolted guitar chords, while My 45 brings Candy Cigarettes’ first sing along chorus to the mix. With a steady flow of folk influenced guitars, which blend effortlessly into the optimistic piano tones, a juxtaposition from the hardship behind My 45’s lyrics, creates a composition of a fronted act of contentedness.

Façades aren’t the only trick up Mueller’s sleeve though. Tidal Waves In My Arms and Sweet Love come across as unified partners, destined to complete one another. The pair transfer a cohesion of shoegaze elements, drenched in the elated energy of dream pop, as Tidal Waves In My Arms disperses a magnetic force of nostalgic reverb, reminiscent of early Smith Westerns crossed together with The Horrors on Skying. Once Sweet Love begins, chilled out indie rock transcends into the world of post-chillwave, as Mueller readies his fingers for the gut punching, country rock power of The Party’s Almost Over.

As Candy Cigarettes begins to reach its end, with One Good Night and The Waiting Room, casting soft lullabies, serenading your ears into a lucid dream; its final moments in the form of Cabin Fever, completely ignites the entire LP into its own standing.

Beautifully layered, with the drama and hope for an outstanding final blast for the LP, Cabin Fever separates itself into two parts. It’s beginning, which peacefully stares into the sky, as the sun creeps up, dimly illuminating the path towards Candy Cigarettes closing moments, and then its goosebumps-inducing awakening. Charging forward into the world, as Mueller creates a storm of screaming guitars, unleashing the energy of a thousand suns; Cabin Fever roars ferociously, as its final moments become nothing less than sensational.

From the very first bass note to the final onslaught of guitar solos, Candy Cigarettes shows complete irreverence towards single genres, by throwing them all together across ten magnificent tracks. It’s malleable to literally any type of guitar music, perfectly adapting towards country, dream pop and classic rock all in one. It’s tangible to the point, where even this download only album, holds as much power, joy and an emotional attachment as a vinyl record does. It’s truly a moment in history, not just 2016.

10.