A Walk Through Abbeys Garden and Into Pebble Beach
Written by Sage Banks
Within the ever-growing music scene of the Las Vegas Valley, it can take a lot of work to keep track of it all. Local Band, Abbeys Garden, released their second EP Pebble Beach on November 25, 2023. With five songs, running twelve minutes and fifty-six seconds Abbeys Garden delivers an excellent addition to their ever-growing discography. Music listeners drawn to emo, screamo, and alternative can all find something that they like in their newest release. “It’s a lot different from the first one, a lot more of us discovering our sound. We love this one a lot” Says the band as a whole. Taking inspiration from Bob Marley, 90’s music, their parents, and Jeff Buckley not only are they versatile within their creations, but they do it in a cohesive way that has gained them quite the audience both in the music scene and streaming services alike.
Formally coming together in October of 2022, Abbeys Garden has continuously delivered incredible performances both on stage and in the studio. There is an undeniable lingering feeling of vulnerability that comes from the raw emotion delivered from both the lyrics and the overall composition of each song. Some members think about past experiences when it comes to writing pieces, but overall it is a process and decision that is decided on as a whole. “Someone brings a riff or even a whole song they wrote, if we like we just jam with it until it sounds good,” Says Elijah, a member of Abbeys Garden.
The EP starts with Silhouette a song about loving and losing. Originally starting a little slow, the song later picks up as the drums and guitar lead the listener through a short instrumental. The main standout of the song is the way Vox is layered at certain points. Twice throughout “I Love You” is layered in a way that takes the listener out, for just a moment and makes it feel as if they are in the crowd singing along. Not only is it immersive but it adds an incredible layer of depth to the song as a whole, and for just a second it hurts in the best way possible. This song features guest vocals from, Dylan, Steph, Gaby, Lordy, and Jonas. The next two songs follow similarly with catchy guitar riffs and layered Vox in all of the right places, Abbeys Garden does well creating cohesive and hard-hitting songs without overdoing.
Taking a step away from screamo for a second towards the end, the last two songs begin to slow down. She doesn't know she has superpowers, and Learn to be just two hearts, Apple and a Peach are two pieces that do a wonderful job at encompassing the feelings of both loving and yearning at the same time. There is a stark contrast vocally, but that does not take away from the previously mentioned vulnerable and raw feeling that they capture very well regardless of what they are singing about. Adding a wonderful balance, and some pieces for those who may not be the biggest fans of Screamo. The EP ends just as strongly as it began, this time in a very warm way, both tonally and emotionally; overall they cater to those who feel a little angsty about love, those who are angry, and a plethora of other emotions in such a short amount of time without muddling the overall feeling of the EP.
Without a doubt, Pebble Beach is worth checking out, being released on almost every major streaming platform, including Bandcamp if you are looking for a way to further support the band.
“Thanks to everyone who streams our music, and thanks to every stray cat on the street who comes up to us and lets us pet them.”
