Full of indie gems, it will keep you grooving all night long
The album “Dreaming in the Pink Room” by the Moonlit Strays is a box of chocolates for the indie music lover. The offerings are so diverse, yet in a collective way, the songs tell a story of wandering, driving the open roads, making a home anywhere you wish, and adopting whatever musical genre seems like a good fit to the vibe. It may be the duo’s trip to Hawaii, up in Maine, or deep Brooklyn, anywhere a road trip the songwriters Chloe Gifkins and Mike Abiuso had taken this past year. It all came together in the fall of 2021 when Gifkins camped out at Abiuso’s Brooklyn recording studio and the two of them banged out an entire album in fewer than two weeks. Keep in mind that no matter the place, the sound of the ocean permeates their music, since it is in both songwriters’ bones, being that they are both natives of the beachside hideaway of The Hamptons, New York.
All songs written by Chloe Gifkins and Mike Abiuso except “Cocaine and Rhinestones” written byElks De Joule, Chloe Gifkins, and Mike Abiuso
Produced by Mike Abiuso at Behind the Curtains Media in Brooklyn, NY
All instrumentation by Mike Abiuso, except for noted below:
“Somebody Else” – Sets the tone of the album with the slow groove, the longing lyrics “I can’t love you baby, I can’t love you if you’re loving somebody else”. With guitar delays and echoing distant cries supporting the haunting vocals, how can you resist the singer’s pleas.
“Ces’t La Vie” – An acoustic gem that takes you to the beaches of Hawaii, complete with the sound of a uke-like acoustic guitar, and the classic Pacific-Island slide guitar.
“Ebb and Flow” – A faster-paced indie song, this one will get you dancing and feel like getting into a vintage car to take a road trip.
“Coast” – Reggae done right, with drums by Ivan Katz who is “the” reggae drummer of NYC.
“Sweet” – the first single released off the album, with an incredible music video accompanying that was shot on location in Hawaii.
“Firefly” – One of the heavier tracks on the album, with Matt Ernst on drums, heavier guitar work, and giving Roots Americana vibes a la the Black Keys.
“Nothing Like You” – A haunting track, enhanced by the use of a variety of percussion, organ, and the quintessential vocals of Chloe Gifkins who explains, “Oh I’m nothing like you, I was made differently”
“Star Trails” – Another of the heavier indie-rock tracks with emphasized electric guitar and featuring the drummer Sonny Ratcliff.
“Cocaine and Rhinestones” – The second single released from the album featuring doubled vocals of Chloe and Elks De Joule who also inspired and co-wrote the song. At the opening of the track, you know you have been called out west, to a roadside dive bar that has the best jukebox full of 70s classics you’ve ever heard.
“South Side” – The end of the album brings us right back to the Hamptons. The story tells of change, she admits that the focus of her song and she have become two ships passing in the night, with Chloe weighing the values of money, “you already have everything you need…”
What a great line to end on an album that involves so much travel and soul searching.
Some quotes from the artists:
“Pink Room is a series of love notes from a lover, brother, or friend, tucked somewhere for you to find in the future. Many of the songs are explicitly about an experience of a time in my life but others are more metaphorical and explore shared or universal experiences. These aren’t all my personal encounters but they’re all definitely things I can relate to and wanted to share.” – Chloe Gifkins
“Chloe and I have been challenging each other from day one, whether it be traveling, photographing and/or creating music. We’ve played, written and recorded music for years now and each time, I can see, hear and feel the growth of both of us, and to me that is priceless and something that I am incredibly honored to have experienced with one of my favorite humans.” – Mike Abiuso
