moment2moment: Nat Baldwin's "Let My Spirit Rise"

Roll your eyes and say, "white boys be tryin' to be spiritual again," but if James Blake can do it, Nat Baldwin, bass player for the Dirty Projectors, certainly earns his marks on People Changes, especially the closing track, "Let My Spirit Rise."

Baldwin lays it all bare, falsetto and quivering upright bass, the bones. Like waves, the bass froths and rumbles hinting at a vast ocean underneath our toes. A man begs for salvation on horizon-less seas, begs that one day he will be forgiven. Violins gently glide in, a guiding light in the dark. Playfully we've explored our hearts and by the end, maybe we can transcend this mortal coil.

Listen:
"Nat Baldwin-"Let My Spirit Rise"

Look:
Nat Baldwin on Western Vinyl

soundslikeavisual: How To Dress Well's "Suicide Dream 3"

Yourstru.ly Presents: How To Dress Well "Suicide Dream 3" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

The folks over at Yours Truly have just posted this glorious session with Lo-Fi R&B superstar Tom Krell of How To Dress Well. Last year's wonderfully moving Love Remains is a broken and clattering snapshot of loss reverberating out of a canyon, but the upcoming EP, Just Once, finds Krell exploring orchestral arrangements and stunningly clear vocals. Witness "Suicide Dream 3" above.

Listen:
How To Dress Well-"Suicide Dream 3 (Orchestral Version)"

Look:
Pre-order Just Once over at Love Letters Ink

albumreview: Cults' Cults (2011)

Cults are too surreal of a girl-group homage to belong in this universe. They're probably the number one band in a David Lynch film or the some gargantuan pop duo who rose to fame if The Beatles had never existed.

Shrouded in a certain level of anonymity, they forgo the White Stripes theatrics and give us a genuinely wonderful self-titled debut, Cults, that is engaging, moving and catchy as all hell on Sunday (or any day).

Buzzing internet singles "Go Outside," "Abducted," and the monstrous, "You Know What I Mean," could come off as mere lo-fi reflections of Phil Spector's pop glory, but instead Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion inject a bit of eeriness and instability to the mix, keeping us on our toes.

Whether it's the Jim Jones samples, warbling synths below the standard guitar, bass and drums or Follin's Lolita-esque vocal stylings, something just isn't quite right. The sugary pop hooks belie the insidious underbelly of love and devotion. Cults hit the ground-running with Cults, but it remains to be seen if everyone joins the congregation. Heaven's Gate is waiting and we're all invited.

Listen:
Cults-"Go Outside"
Cults-"Oh My God"


Look:
Cults official site