This is fine.
Wednesday night, we sweated our way though the early set time to catch two artists that have been making headlines in the indie rock world lately: Big Thief and Kevin Morby. It was a quick evening, but a good one nonetheless, and you can read my brief thoughts on both acts after the jump.
I slipped a little on dropping the newest Big Thief a week back, so it’s great that there’s now another new track from the group to share with you, as we were really impressed by the group recently. One of my favorite things about the band, at least as it stands in this track, is the group’s ability to build the track in the listener’s ear. We start off gently, gradually adding in textural layers that resonate through your speakers; still, they build only to pull back, teasing us, yet ultimately leaving us with a great pop reward. Their new effort, Masterpiece, will be released by Saddle Creek on May 27th.
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I first had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with Big Thief a few months back when they stopped into town and opened for Here We Go Magic. Instantly, their live act caught my attention– the striking and unique vocals of front lady,Adrianne Lenker creating a distinct impression from the start. I’m pleased to share with you a single from their upcoming album,Masterpiece, with you today. “Real Love” plays with the start/stop format of a track, and combines folk and rock aspects. My favorite aspect of the song is the way the vocals mirrorand play with the guitar parts, making the track come across as simultaneously soft and jagged. Take a listen and get ready for this band to be all the rage in internet land… and check them out at SXSW!
Masterpiece will be out May 27th via Saddle Creek Records.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/XTlM_a8swSw[/youtube]
I really have no idea what way to describe or even marginalize Sheer Agony, and that alone should make listening to their latest single worth your time pressing play. It’s like a proggy power art pop, if that makes any sense. There’s definitely a little bit of a shuffle in the bass line, but a huge dosage of pop in the way that vocal is delivered just after the 30 second mark. You’re not likely to hear another track like it this week, this month or even this year…making it all the more cool in its own distinct way. Look for the group’s Masterpiece LP via Couple Skate on October 30th.
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