Air Drawn Dagger
A Guide For Apparitions
Long Branch Records
It takes just a few seconds of ‘Sanctifound’ the first track proper on ‘A Guide For Apparitions’ before you’re hooked. Imagine if you will fun pop punk swirling with shadowy emo and you kinda get the vibe. Air Drawn Dagger have been making waves for a while now but this their debut album cements them as the genuine article. The delicate harmonies and lovely textures they’ve made their hallmark live are replicated here perfectly. There’s a spooky feel that rears its head every now and then that’s more Wednesday than Lestat. Actually you can imagine almost any of the tracks here fitting just so well with the Netflix hit series. The free flowing and exciting writing combined with imaginative production make this an outstanding record. If you’re a fan of either Paramore or My Chemical Romance this is a band you need to listen to, if you love both prepare to lose your shit! This could and deserves to be the surprise hit release of 2025.
Review by Gary Trueman