Albums

Fictional Histories – 2020

Draped in unique musical arrangements, at times hauntingly ethereal and at others brazenly bombastic, the songs are woven together by the illusion of a long, shared history: decisions and regrets, successes and failures, lessons learned, roads forever not taken and paths that might still be explored. It is a conversation about pausing in the midst of adulthood, taking stock of the paths that led us to this point, and realizing that there are many more songs left to sing.

11 songs make up our debut (or is it?) album, Fictional Histories.  They range from power-pop-ish to chamber-pop to electronic to … what the heck … we don’t do categories.  You can find out what we mean for totally-free on Bandcamp and elsewhere (links below), but the coolest people buy CDs and/or downloads and thus also get the album art and some easter eggs too, if they look closely enough!  😀

One-Minute Summary

Places to listen and buy!

Bandcamp (downloads and CDs) | Apple Music / iTunes | Spotify | Amazon (UK) / Amazon (US)

Also available on other streaming services!

Album Reviews

22nd August 2020

Every once in a blue moon, an album comes along that provides a listening experience that alters your thought of what a “rock album” is or can be.

It’s quirky. It’s grand.
It’s rock. It’s orchestral pop. It’s soulful. It’s danceable.
And at times, it’s dramatic beyond measure.

I’m hearing elements of so many “touchstone artists” that I love (XTC, Kate Bush, ABBA, and more), but this music is so inexplicably unique that it honestly defies a single description.

So who are the architects of this sonic puzzle?

The Aeon Wanderers and their phenomenal début album, “FICTIONAL HISTORIES”.

That’s who.

And that’s just for starters – just wait until the electric guitars REALLY kick in (especially on the album opener “DON’T GO” and “WILD”) and then when you least expect it, you’re whisked onto the dance floor for a song such as “TIME”…the one word that keeps coming to me is DYNAMICS, and this album has that quality in spades, with each song providing soundscapes that are truly exhilarating.

I’m desperately trying to scrape my jaw off of my floor, but every couple of minutes, it hits the ground again.

And just when I finally thought I got my bearings, the one-two punch of “BLACK UMBRELLA” and “DETONATE” flattened me for good – dystopia never sounded so compelling and simultaneously heartbreaking before leading into the gorgeous resignation of the closing track “DIARY”.

They may be “fictional histories” but they resonate with a reality completely tied in to our lives circa 2020.

Simply gobsmacked. Period.

(Ed. note: Do yourself a favour and listen to this album either through really good speakers or through headphones to get the full effect.)

Congratulations to Andrea and Owen for creating an absolute masterpiece, and an album that I know will be in the upper echelon of my annual year-end countdown…

~ David Tolar

Reaction to songs from Fictional Histories

“This is beautiful and bonkers. This here is gonna be in my head all day and I am HERE FOR IT.” `~ Dolph Chaney

“I think I may have just discovered a new favourite band! Brilliant!” ~ Nigel Penguin

“I have a sneaking suspicion this *might* just end up on my year-end albums list.” ~ David Tolar

“Too expansive for my tastes.” ~ random blogger #1 on “Don’t Go”

“Vocals are too dramatic.” ~ random blogger #2 on “Black Umbrella”