Dan Deacon’s “Become a Mountain” combines classical and airy indie, and references Deacon’s time spent creating music of both genres. (Deacon’s upcoming album Mystic Familiar will mark his return from four years of film scoring.) The sprawling song—beginning with keys and whispered vocals—builds over its four minutes, eventually turning into an ethereal piece that’s laden with strings. Deacon explains in an accompanying announcement that meditation …
Andy Shauf: Try Again Joyful and a tad flirtatious, Toronto-based Andy Shauf’s “Try Again” depicts an awkward run in with an ex. But it’s far more than a note about loneliness: Shauf does an excellent job at developing the cast of characters, an impressive feat for the just-under-four-minute track. “Somewhere between drunkenness and jealousy / I watch her talking to some old friend / What …
Moses Sumney: Virile From his upcoming album græ (which will be released in two parts), Moses Sumney’s “Virile” is a huge, stirring song that explores the concept of masculinity. Beginning with delicate strings, the piece builds with guttural guitar, raucous percussion and Sumney’s stunning falsetto. The accompanying video is the artist’s directorial debut and proves equally colossal. As Sumney puts it, “In a post-human world, the …
