Crystal Dorval is one seriously well-rounded lady. I first did some investigating on the Vancouver-based artist after hearing the haunting yet incredible music of her most recent project, White Poppy, on the blog yvynyl. After doing a little research, I discovered she had also previously made music under the name My Friend Wallis, whose sunny tunes were a constant presence on my playlists during the fall of 2010. I was already impressed that the girl who could make sweet pop music was also creating the strange, almost shoegaze-y sound of White Poppy. Beyond being a versatile musician, Crystal is also an artist and makes beautiful and psychedelic photos and collages that can be viewed here. After writing that paragraph I pose you with this question: why aren't more people paying attention her?

Another one of Crystal’s strongest suits is pairing her music with an aesthetic. The art that fills up the top of her portfolio page is made up of slightly spooky images with rainbow colors splayed over them. The images go hand in hand with the sound she's projecting on the "I Had a Dream" cassette. It's overwhelmingly inspiring to observe the enormity of Crystal's creative output. I'm more than excited to see what she puts out next and hopefully what her live performance is like.
I Had a Dream is currently available by download or by tape, which you can find on White Poppy's bandcamp.
Written by Emily Thompson
Written by Emily Thompson