Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago

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When I made my retrospective on Scared Famous/FF--YEARS AGO APPARENTLY, I said part of what made it so special to me was that it sounded how I felt at that time in my life. I have very similar feelings on this tape, a demo made by Ash Soika, who records as Deer Watching. They sent me this tape earlier this year, and I had no idea what to expect! Ash occasionally commented on my Instagram and I had seen their awesome collages, like those of a Victorian Bob Pollard.
Life in upstate New York is cold and oftentimes bleak. Warmth and those wonderful moments of happiness come from the people you huddle near like penguins and play Windjammers with. Finding comfort in spite of the harsh cold. This tape feels like that, creating one's own warmth in a bereft land. I'm not sure if that's where Ash finds their muse, but it sure feels that way. This tape conjures scenes of forests locked in winter, delicate nature prevailing wherever it can.
The dry, metallic guitar tones can convey both the banalities of every day and the wonder of a gathering with friends. The audio collages Channel Surf and '06 perhaps even paint a bleaker picture of the world blurring together, of course only followed by the charming Roadpile, and Kraut-adjacent EPIC that is Garage, respectively. Covering all these moods, Ash's beautifully understated and deliciously gothic vocals croon, shout, and sing about so much, even when the words are nigh-incomprehensible (in the best way)!
I've got so much more to say on this tape, like the incredibly sweet Ballad of Jim Jones, or the comforting senerade that is Penny, Oh! and how about that awesome Shaven cover!! I am smitten with this record, but it's late and I've just spilled popsicle on myself. In any case, PLEASE follow Ash and send them some $$$love at the link below for a truncated digital release of this wonderful compilation. I'm not sure if they're planning on releasing the tape-exclusive tracks here digitally, but I'm sure your own copy is only a few bucks away!

0:00 Far From Home
4:32 Thisfor/Got Away (demo)
8:04 Break
11:25 DEVO & Wine
13:59 [Channel Surf]
14:22 Familiar Houses
17:24 Dog
19:44 Roadpile
21:27 A Salty Salute (Guided by Voices)
23:21 Car
24:53 Ballad of Jim Jones
27:51 Penny
31:08 Rcords
33:25 Aerosol
36:04 Shaven (Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti)
38:25 '06
39:19 Garage
43:41 Smothered in Hugs (Guided by Voices)
46:38 Casio Friend/Fade Out


Download: deerwatching.bandcamp.com/album/vol-1