motel void

The best tracks that have come our way in the past week or so and that we highly recommend listening to…

---

RAPT – OCEAN LAY STRAIGHT

British musician Rapt returns with Ocean Lay Straight, a single that continues his run of folk jams. Unlike much of the current indie-folk trend, Rapt looks back to earlier heroes – in his guitar work I hear echoes of albums like Admiral Fell Promises or April. His delicate vocals bring an overall sense of relaxation, tinged with sadness but also a quiet hope. Seeing this live – not in a noisy bar, but somewhere intimate, like a small hall or even a church – would no doubt be a magical experience.

---

HARPER – DIRT

We’re staying in the UK for the new single Dirt from my favourite Leicester-based duo, Harper. I wouldn’t hesitate to call Dirt their strongest track yet – once again, the interplay between male and female vocals works perfectly. The song is minimalistic, built on a simple instrumental loop, yet it’s bursting with energy and the vocals are incredibly catchy. This is without a doubt my soundtrack for the end of summer – I’m heading to another festival tomorrow, and I already know what will be playing in the car. (And that lo-fi ending is really sweet!)

---

SPECKLE – ALMOST DANCING

Finally, we head to Oregon – specifically Portland, the source of so much of my favourite music – and now home to noise-pop duo Speckle. The opening immediately brought Feeble Little Horse to mind, though this isn’t quite as wild. As with the aforementioned Harper, the blend of two voices works wonderfully here. The track runs for over six minutes, yet you’d hardly notice – while it’s fairly monotone and avoids major shifts, its atmosphere holds you in place from start to finish (and the heavily distorted guitar in the outro is very satisfying).

---