Bandcamp Artist of the Week: Old Soul

Right from the beginning, Beginnings from Old Soul grabbed me by my short hairs and caused me to do a double take. It was probably the bass line that set this whole dirty bastard off, which sounded eerily reminiscent of Excursions by A Tribe Called Quest. Only a little more minimal, if that is even possible.

Then there was the voice!

A voice that sounds like it was ripped off the victrolas of the past, shined up with a fresh coat of haunting beauty and dropped off in the mix just off in the distance, giving it the right blend of nostalgic and fresh.

For The Record, the track described above and the first track is the best but by no means the only good track on this 4 song EP. Don't Worry, He'll Come Around starts off with a nice blend of what sounds like carousel organ and strings, that sound almost like they are ripped from an LSD fueled Abbey Road session, then builds with horns and that fucking voice. Holy shit it’s earthy, filled with the moistness of the rain forest and an open air chill from above the tree line.

One Door Closes is a nice light and upbeat jammy with a sweet double clap snare that makes me want to strip down to my boxers and dance in the window for the creepy obese guy with the binoculars that is always peeping in the windows of our building. I want him to know how exciting it is to feel the light breezy joy of One Door Closes, crazy thing is that I think it is about a break up or some shit. Finally we bring this fucker home with a cover of Across The Universe by The Beatles, which is probably my least favorite track. That has more to do with my predisposition to hate Beatles covers than it does the actual quality of the acapella re-working, which is actually quite beautiful. I just never need to hear another Beatles song again.

One final thought, as I have worked my way through Beginnings I was taken by how well the minimalist approach worked, then on my 4th or 5th listen I realized how much was actually going on. On every song there are these amazing sprinkles of strings, horns, keys and background vocals that add a wondrous depth and texture to Beginnings. I don't know if it’s a matter of knowing when not to play or where to add the accents, either way Old Soul nailed it.