Outstretched Gums
Sometimes a sound is almost too perfect. Riding down the LA River on a bike with the breeze on your back and Death Vessel in the ears, it's almost enough to make you ignore the summer stagnation.
Still, I wasn't among the few who called myself a Death Vessel fan in the past. I'd always kind of liked them, but this record of his on Sub Pop is a revelation.
It was a surprise to me just how epic Joel could get on this one. I was used to his energy and scale, but a track like "Circa" off the album really blew me away. Even this one finds its way crashing the acoustics and sweeping the bass off its feet. His voice so smooth and the atmosphere so clean. It's not just aping some standard of country or grasping at some kind of false authenticity. This is an album that exists in its own right.
There is also a beautiful little bonus track with Rhodes and guitar that wraps things up nicely. Anyway, the new album, Nothing is Precious Enough for Us, comes out in August on sub pop. It's highly recommended.