Phantom Handshakes is a lo-fi dreamgaze collaboration between Matt Sklar and Federica Tassano based in New York City. Since it began as a lockdown project in the Spring of 2020, the band has released two full-length albums, an EP, and a number of singles. All of their releases were self-recorded by the band. Their newest album, Sirens At Golden Hour, will be released in August 2024.
The first single from the band’s upcoming project comes in the form of the hypnotic, shoegaze-tinted pop of “Good Intentions.” From start to finish, you enter a psychedelic dreamscape with melodies that gently coil around the jaw-dropping guitar work. Like any good shoegaze-leaning song, the vocals blend into the arrangement for unique textures, but don’t let the head-spinning recording techniques distract from the moving songwriting. “Good Intentions” is centered around the idea of feeling betrayed after putting your best foot forward. The band captures the heaviness of questioning your moral compass and sets it to infectious pop tempos for a sonic juxtaposition that is simply captivating. Phantom Handshakes seem to be on the precipice of a landmark release if Sirens At Golden Hour is half as impressive as the catchy vulnerability of “Good Intentions.”
“We chose ‘Good Intentions’ as our lead-off track for our newest album because, for us, the song really announces our intention for the whole LP and sets the tone for the songs to follow,” explains the band. “The song is about how we sometimes put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to try and achieve our personal goals and how it’s ok to adjust our expectations and reset when those goals and plans don’t always come together. For the music video, we wanted to create something that reflects the dynamic and stark mood of the song.”
