One year after the release of their acclaimed fourth LP Rose Main Reading Room, Peel Dream Magazine return with Taurus, a companion album that deepens the lush, hypnotic world built by songwriter Joseph Stevens. Out now via Slumberland Records, Taurus collects eight previously unreleased tracks from the Rose Main Reading Room sessions, offering fans a fuller portrait of Stevens’ restless creativity.
To celebrate the release, the band kicks off their fall headlining tour tonight (October 8, 2025) at Austin’s Mohawk, before winding across the U.S. and Canada through December.
Where Rose Main Reading Room was expansive and conceptual, Taurus feels more intimate yet no less exploratory. Stevens continues to guide the project through a kaleidoscope of styles, from the twee indie pop of lead single “Venus In Nadir”, to the vibraphone coziness of the title track, to the buoyant synth washes of “Seek and Destroy.” But despite the genre-shifting, Peel Dream Magazine remain grounded in their signature blend of warm repetition, woodland atmospherics, and drone-inspired textures.
The standout “Believer” echoes the entrancing mood of Rose Main Reading Room, with vocalist Olivia Babuka Black delivering mantra-like melodies over Philip Glass-style woodwinds and mallets. It’s a piece that feels both hypnotic and deeply human, a bridge between the two albums.
On “Venus In Nadir,” Stevens admits it’s a track he almost abandoned: “I revisited it after the album came out, reworked the lyrics and some overdubs, and ended up with this really simple twee song about a forlorn recluse withering from unrequited love… it felt very Nick Drake-y. That’s what’s fun about writing songs — you can make a mess of these images and not worry about putting them back.”
Taken together, Taurus doesn’t just feel like leftovers — it’s an expansion, a reframing, and a companion piece that holds its own while reminding listeners just how fertile Peel Dream Magazine’s universe remains.
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