Buried Memories by Valtune
Thoughts about an indie rock album that has the potential to be one of the best offerings of 2025.
Hi Pal,
Welcome to today’s newsletter. I hope you had a lovely week.
Stylized albums seem to be a preference for Valtune — Alexander Hildebrand — an alternative artist from Altoona, PA. Unfortunately, his 2022 album, In Search of Eden, is one that I discovered very late and did not have the opportunity to talk about (it’s excellent). Thankfully, his sophomore project, Buried Memories is here and I’m glad to walk you through it.
The album comprises songs that draw inspiration mainly from both fictional and non-fictional characters in Christian or Biblical history. It commences with a brief piano instrumental ballad entitled "The Saints Speak Through My Bones..."
This creates the backdrop for the ideas that coalesced to produce this record. The tracklist includes a few familiar names, and the intro ends with the statement: ‘Oh, hey, I’d like to introduce you to some people.’
“Kichijiro” is a song inspired by the character of the same name in the novel Silence by Shūsaku Endō. He is a Judas-type character who betrays the protagonist — Rodrigues — and other Christians in Japan during a time of great persecution for money and safety. In the book, there is a permeating question on the place of weakness and the meaning of forgiveness; these are the concepts and thoughts that Hildebrand shines a light on captured in lyrics like,
…I don’t deserve your love or mercy
But you’re the only hope I have…
“Doc” is one of the gems of this album. As a huge fan of the post-punk era of music, the driving drums and prominent bass riffs were a delight. It also has shoegaze undertones, with the droning effects on the lead guitar acting like a subtle guide throughout the listening experience.
The song “Lewis,” seemingly inspired by C.S. Lewis, is an upbeat shoegaze track featuring bright keys and droning guitars. The lyrics, with imagery reminiscent of Isaiah 6, evoke the awe and fear of God's presence. This balance is captured in the repetition of the phrase “...you are dangerous...” throughout the song, highlighting both the majesty and terrifying aspects of encountering the divine.
“Augustine” is reminiscent of St. Augustine of Hippo, a significant figure in Church History. It’s the first quiet moment on the album and feels earned after the non-stop injection of energy from the previous tunes. The bass guitar is prominent and effective on this song and the writing takes a few unexpected turns that I enjoyed. Lyrically, it is a song about cleansing and the infilling of God’s Spirit.
“Elias” is my favourite song from the album and is based on an amalgamation of the prophet Elijah and the Link and Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask. Musically, it is one of my favourites on the album because I have a soft spot for sombre progressions and some of the chord choices used here. Lyrically, there are references to the life of Elijah and it speaks about the hope that we have in God’s power even in seeming despair.
“Lilith” is arguably the most perplexing song on the album, due to both its complex musical structure and controversial lyrical themes. The song's time signature changes multiple times throughout, starting with 5/4 and shifting to 6/8 and 7/8. The lyrics could also spark controversy due to the occult and mythical associations of the title.
Speaking to Hildebrand about this choice, he mentioned that the song’s name is metaphorical and borrows from her “myth” to tell a redemption story. Lilith in this song is the persona that is being rejected by the singer on account of the redemptive work of Christ on the cross for all the children of Adam. I know this explanation will probably not work for some people, but if there is any album where those creative liberties are understandable, it’s probably an album like this one.
“Phoebe” is a warm piano ballad, a song of commitment to running the race as scripture instructs us to. “Abigail” is another brief interlude and feels like the unofficial end of the album. I say this because it is similar to the title track in its execution and as it also ends with a statement from Hildebrand: “I don’t know how you could be a Christian without imagination. The story is just so fantastic”
“Lynn” is the official end of the album and it’s a driving punk rock tune that took me by surprise. It’s inspired by Hildebrand’s grandfather who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease when he [Alex] was in middle school. Watching his grandfather’s body slowly fail and his memory deteriorate was difficult for him and he didn’t handle it very well.
In a way, this song is Hildebrand rewriting history and speaking about the things he should have thought or how he could have handled it back then. It’s also a reminder of the eternal glory that awaits all believers in the New Heaven and Earth and a song of comfort for anyone who has experienced loss.
Buried Memories effectively combines seemingly disparate ideas into a reasonably cohesive whole. However, compared to most concept albums that share sonic or thematic elements, this album feels more like a collage (mirroring its album art) than a consistent narrative. Despite this, it achieves its intended goal, and listeners will likely find a few songs they enjoy.
Genre(s): Indie Rock
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That’s it for today.
Catch you soon!
Feel free to leave a comment. Also, I am always open to hearing from you so feel free to send an email to me at stismavo@gmail.com