What happens when you combine the bleak ’90s outlook of Pavement and Jeff Buckley with the proto-punk vigor of Television and…interestingly enough…the care-free candor of Steely Dan’s yacht rock? You end up with a timeless sense of melancholy, embodied by Austin art rock quartet Hamartia (not to be confused with the hardcore outfit of the same name), who walk the tightrope between shoegaze fragility and bold ’70s hedonism.
And while Hamartia’s noticeable influences are inseparable from their sound, the result is something decidedly unique and worth a few listens just to put your finger on it. Hamartia’s just kicked off their character arc earlier this month with a lead single all about finding the one for you as the years go on, “Stone Cold Stunner”!
–Jack Anderson
