Interstellar Gator – Interstellar Gator

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Release date: August 19th 2022
Label: Self-release
Length: 33 minutes

Interstellar Gator is formed by Zak Fleisher (guitar), Zac Braun (guitar and rhythm), Tyronne Sudarski (bass), Jack MacDonald (drums), Elijah Swart (lead singer and tambourine), and Jake Feely (piano and keys) as the newest addition to the group. The band has evolved quite a bit over the years, developing a style shaped by clear influences from major names in the space-echo, psychedelic, and classic rock spectrum. Mac DeMarco, The Beatles, and of course Arctic Monkeys, from whom they even borrowed a lyric for the band’s name (Arabella) shaped the identity and inspiration of the group.

From the very first seconds, Interstellar Gator makes its intention clear: to install a different space. Not just a style or a color, but a coherent sonic environment, conceived as a whole, where every element seems to respond to another. The bass and guitar play a central role throughout the album. It is not merely harmonic support, but a narrative engine. So, if you missed the ship passing by or, more accurately, did not hear the call of the Interstellar Gator crew, let’s jump on board now.

The opening track already says it all: are you down for a long ride onboard? Or are you down “stuck like a fly in sticky mud” in a loop of isolation. The tempo is measured, almost restrained, allowing the space to settle before fully opening up. Elements arrive gradually: a minimalist rhythm first, a bass line that slowly anchors the track, then more diffused textures that widen the spectrum. The bass is round and repetitive, built on short motifs that establish a sense of gravity. The drums remain stable and unintrusive, while keyboards and synths sit quietly in the background. Vocals are blended into the mix, treated as another layer rather than a focal point. Nothing feels rushed. The lyrics speak of this feeling of not achieving, struggle and how to sooth it by disconnecting “Just wanted to fade”. They pull the listener into the album’s universe like a pilot episode.

“Green Girl” confirms the direction laid out by “Are You Down“. The guitar becomes more assertive, driven by a bass line that turns slightly more melodic and blends with the drums. A recurring motif carried by a treated guitar gives the track its identity. Effects are discreet: light delay, gentle filtering, distortion, small touches of saturation that add grain and warmth. What stands out here is the sense of continuity, there is a story that comes with it. It’s a galactic first love story “Green boy like you loves whatever you may do”. We could almost take it a step further in the chorus “It’s gonna be ok you’re gonna get home safe. Ain’t no one around to hurt you” whoever listens and escapes is safe with the Gators.

“Windsor” marks the first real shift. The structure feels less linear, dynamics more contrasted. Rhythmic patterns become more mobile, and the track plays openly with changes in density and space. Silences, frequency cuts, and textural contrasts act as narrative tools. Compared to the steady cycles of the opening tracks, “Windsor” introduces friction, signaling that the journey will not be rock all the way through.

Here, the album breathes. Rhythm becomes less directive, guitars stretch out, harmonies linger, and the track feels suspended rather than driven forward. This moment of floating acts as a transition, softening the ground before the album moves into its core. A more melodic bass that complements the vocals layered with a spacy/dreamy reverb.

“Interlude” does exactly what its name suggests. Reduced to textures and ambient background noises, it strips the illusion away. You are just listening to an album. Build around a scat and a non-filtered voice, laughs and dad jokes “I ask a date to meet at the gym today. She didn’t show up that’s when I knew we weren’t going to work out”. It feels like a brief look behind the scenes, a quiet break in the resting quarters of the crew before the album regains momentum.

The rest is cut short. “Rude” bursts in as one of the album’s most striking moments. Its influence from Arctic Monkeys is unmistakable, yet it remains anchored in the guitar identity established earlier on the record. The drums are drier and more forward, the bass alternates between dominance, sudden absence, and short rhythmic stabs as sharp contrasts. Everything here feels rawer. The guitar sounds like an open wound, resentment pouring in its tone. The work on the voice, the tone and articulation… Everything screams Alex Turner. The lyrics paint the sense of betrayal and being led on “Your heart is the size of a pea”; to the point of emotional rupture “Left my emotions so screwed”.

After the intensity of “Rude“, “Soul Mind Heart” is a quiet and fresh tune, it’s the time to build oneself back after the hurt. It’s the tell of the better story, more intimate. The bass becomes continuous and enveloping, the drums minimalist, with a deep guitar melody to fill the background. Rather than chasing impact, the track favors slow immersion. Subtle modulation, warm reverbs, and timbral nuances replace the impact of the early tracks.

Another pause in the journey. More grounded, more personal. “All Alone” carries a clear Beatles inspired sensitivity and is rooted in a personal experience by Zack. The voice is more exposed, supported by a ballad-like guitar and a faint, sometimes absent bass. Ethereal effects on the vocals increase the sense of regret. The song feels like a look back on memories replayed, emotions unresolved, grief present in everyday life “Never the time to say goodbye”.

The album closes without fully closing. “Dependent” feels less like a conclusion than a continuation. The rhythm remains restrained, synths are atmospheric, and vocals dissolve into texture. Reverb stretch, instruments are allowed to fade naturally, and compression stays minimal. The journey continues, it’s only the end of season 1, all we have to do is hold on to them. Now that we are comfortable with the ship members it doesn’t matter the destination: “everything’s ok when I’m with you”. The guitar riff closing the album like a gradual dissolution of the track; a transition either leading into what follows or looping back to the beginning of the album with an almost seamless, natural feel. In “Are You Down” you were alone in “the place where no one else can go”, and by the end “we can get through this together.”

Interstellar Gator is an album that takes time. Its depth reveals itself through production choices, melodic construction, and careful control of dynamics. The further the journey goes, the more details surface, revealing a coherent and deliberate work. Ultimately, the album’s richness lies in the dialogue between sound and meaning (with jokes, double entendre and tales of real). The album does not aim for immediate impact; it prefers progression, patience, and the slow construction of an atmosphere that fully reveals itself over time.

– All Alone
– Dependent
– Green Girl