The moving debut single from Anaheim-based duo Dreams of Venus, “Ventura Highway” is a retrospective stunner that builds from balladry into anthemic power. The duo of Abby Buotte and Daryuish Khashayar show their powerful songwriting here, fusing Buotte’s invigorating vocal builds with Daryuish’s instrumentation, inspired by a classically trained background.
“Does she kiss you like I did back then?” the vocals let out chillingly. “We could’ve been so much more.” The ensuing sequence, bolstered by percussion, laments on how giving someone everything can leave too little for oneself. The soaring guitar infusion and haunting back vocals assemble ample momentum, culminating in an anthemic guitar-fronted allure alongside the mellow piano underlying. “Ventura Highway” is a showcase in striking tonal variety, from the initial haunting balladry to the rousing, emotively cathartic build.
“A lot of the instrumental was centered around building tension throughout the song until the chorus and the instrumental interlude after that,” Khashayar says. “Which naturally led the song into a type of sad rock ballad blend with pop and classical influence.”
Buotte adds: “Drawing from my previous experiences, I wrote lyrics that represent the emotional turmoil one goes through when dealing with heartbreak. In times when I felt alone and somewhat hopeless I wrote what I felt in the moment.”
—
This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of September 2023’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
