The music of I Love You (the Brooklyn iteration fronted by Justin Randel) feels like a frantic, beautiful mess captured on tape. It is characterized by a nervous energy, where jagged guitar lines collide with steady, driving percussion. The sound is rooted in the gritty tradition of New York art-punk, but it is constantly being pulled toward psychedelic abstraction. It feels less like a polished studio product and more like a live transmission from a dark, crowded room where the visuals are as loud as the instruments.
What sets this project apart is its evolution from a trio into a solo-driven experimental vehicle. The later recordings embrace a more textured, murky production style that buries the vocals beneath layers of fuzz and reverb, creating a sense of isolation and mystery. It is music that rewards close listening, revealing strange melodic choices and rhythmic hiccups that keep the listener slightly off-balance. The integration of psychedelic visuals into their live identity translates into a recorded sound that feels vivid and hallucinatory.
For those new to the project, Bell Ord Forrest is the essential starting point. It captures the transition into a more experimental, visual-heavy era while retaining the core alternative rock bite. It is perfect for fans of the Joyful Noise roster or anyone who misses the unpolished, high-concept indie rock of the mid-2000s Brooklyn scene.
I Love You is a recording act fronted by Justin Randel that is based in Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2004 as a trio, the project used various names until late in that year when Yah Tibyah La Blu (a slightly bastardized translation of "I Love You" in Russian) became "official." For practical reasons, the group began using the English phrase by the release of their first recordings. In 2006, bassist Kevin Kesterson departed, making a duo of the group. Then in 2008, drummer Jeffrey Schlette parted ways with I Love You, making Randel the sole member. In 2009, video artist Charlie Mylie joined up with Randel, throwing psychedelic visuals into the mix during live performances. During October of that year the duo released their first recording for Indianapolis, Indiana's Joyful Noise Recordings, Bell Ord Forrest. In 2008, I Love You became a solo act again. According to his MySpace page, frontman Justin Randel released Feeling Bad To Feel Better in October 2011 on CD and cassette. In 2014, after previous member Jeffrey Schlette died, Justin Randel changed his moniker to Reaches.
Shares alternative rock, psychedelic rock, noise rock (subgenres); lo fi, noise textured, analog warmth (production style)
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Shares art rock, psychedelic rock, noise rock (subgenres); lo fi, noise textured, analog warmth (production style)
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Shares alternative rock, art rock, noise rock (subgenres); basement show, urban night, fog (atmosphere)
Shares alternative rock, art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); lo fi, noise textured, analog warmth (production style)
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