'Let’s Skip To The Wedding': Filipino star Eyedress makes his mark in the US with emotive and experimental LP
Filipino singer/songwriter and rapper Eyedress is all set to drop his album 'Let's Skip To The Wedding', his first since moving to the United States from the Philippines, due out next Friday, August 8. A passionate exploration of the themes of love, settling down, adjusting to life in a new city, and preparing to welcome a child into this ever-changing world, 'Let’s Skip To The Wedding' channels the uncertainty of 2020 into an eclectic collection of songs and a loved up remedy for the times.
Eyedress is the alias of Filipino artist Idris Vicuña, formerly the lead guitarist of psychedelic indie/noise-pop band Bee Eyes. Born in 1990 in the city of Makati, Philippines, Vicuña relocated to the US with his family at the age of 6. He was raised in Phoenix, Arizona before moving to San Clemente, California at the age of 13, where he started playing bass in a Crass-influenced crust-punk band. In 2005, Vicuña moved back to Manila, and eventually released his first solo record entitled 'Hearing Colors' in 2013. Well received by music blogs, the album led to him signing his first record deal with XL Recordings imprint Abeano. He followed up in 2016 with his second full length, 'Shapeshifter', including a title track featuring King Krule under his Edgar The Breathtaker alias.
After two years, Vicuña returned once more with the 2018 release, 'Sensitive G', which saw the artiste take a step further with his lyrics. The album, as such, featured a deeply personal reflection on the joys and pains of his life in Manila told through the styles he was influenced while growing up in the US, including R&B, dream-pop, indie rock, punk rock, and G-funk. A more solitary affair, 'Sensitive G' was recorded almost entirely by Vicuña himself in his bedroom and took the singer's sound into much refined and visceral territory. Following the release of 'Sensitive G', Vicuña relocated from Manila to Los Angeles, and in 2019, he shared stages as Eyedress with acts like Homeshake, Enjoy, Jasper Bones, N8NOFACE, and B Cool Aid.
In the leadup to the release of 'Let's Skip To The Wedding', Vicuña dropped the single 'Can I See You Tonight?', which served as the perfect appetizer for the rest of the record. The track itself was a collaborative project between the artiste and his girlfriend, crafted right before the two parted and recorded during the short moments of reunion they shared. Speaking about the track, Vicuña shared, "The song is about the early times when I started seeing my girlfriend. All the first dates and wanting to see her really bad every day and every night. The feeling of wanting to be together all the time and falling in love." The song makes for some truly easy listening, with the artiste's muffled voice pairing perfectly with his unique brand of psych-pop/rock. But as dreamy as this track is, it is but a glimpse into what 'Eyedress' is all about.
'Last Time I'm Falling In Love' is another standout off the record, and this one comes with a music video that is best described as a fever dream. Directed by Bobby Astro, the visuals for this song, in just two and half minutes, takes us on a love-fueled car chase through constantly shifting worlds, with Vicuña, starring as Eyedress, playing the role of a getaway driver and his pregnant girlfriend, Elvia, playing the role of a mermaid. It's odd and it's quirky, but most importantly, it is soothing as hell. Which, ultimately, is the best way to describe the sound and vibe that Eyedress offers.
'Let's Skip To The Wedding' is a wonderfully experimental record that blends elements of psychedelia with electronica, pop with rock, and commentary on daily life with the emotional upheavals that go along with change. And that, really, is what makes this release feel like a healing balm, perfectly fit for the times but not one that will fall into obscurity once our lives return to normal.