Slark Moan is the New York-based, indie rock band conceptualized by multi-instrumentalist Mark Sloan, Jr. Sloan’s music is a nod to the dry drum sounds and pop sensibilities of the 1960s and ‘70s, infused with the lyrical experimentation and low-fi rebelliousness of indie bands of the 90s and 2000s.
With a confessing gaze on the moment, Slark Moan evokes a longing for a better future on the new single, “A Little Hope.” Angelic harmonies sit in the background as the back beat pulses its way through warm liquidity of spacious arrangement. “A Little Hope” is a focused and fresh effort from the up-and-coming indie artist.
On “Four Horses” (below) Slark Moan sings with an engaging melodic buoyancy akin to Aaron Lee Tasjan’s clever and playful vibrato. The track is pushed by tasteful bass accents and colorful guitar tint, proving itself an uplifting number spawned from an unfortunate circumstance.
“Once the pandemic shut down touring, I began working on a new album, recording it in my Boston apartment where my partner was attending grad school. When our lease was up, we decided to wait out the pandemic with her family in Oregon. We packed all our belongings, dog, and cat into a Honda CRV and headed 3000 miles west, arriving just in time for wildfire season. I wrote “A Little Hope” during the second week of the fires. In the early days of the pandemic, we spent a lot of time outdoors. We went for long walks, we got into birding; it was a place where we could breath, both literally and metaphorically. But because of the cloud of smoke surrounding the Willamette Valley, it was no longer safe to step outside for fresh air. “A little hope” was a message I wanted to hear and give to others. We have little control over what the universe throws our way, but we can have control over how we respond and how we want to think about our future. We have an immense capacity for hope, and sometimes we just need to ask “what if everything works out?” The song isn’t so much an appeal for optimism as it is a call to embrace positive outcomes alongside the challenges we face. We will continue to experience roadblocks and setbacks, but what if we survive, and what’s so wrong with considering this outcome? It might be the little bit of hope we need to keep moving forward and overcome what feels insurmountable,” says Sloan.
