If you’re feeling a little sorry for yourself and need a meditative pick-me-up, we’ve found the perfect remedy to your troubles.
Having previously been likened to The Kinks’ ineffable Village Green era, throw in a bit of Joni Mitchell-esque lap steel and you’ve got Thin Lear, the Queens-based outfit whose latest singleย Death In A Field will be barging its way into your hearts and ear holes post haste. It’s a sunny and late 60s-inspired record, with a delectable guitar tone, melancholic lyrics and beautifully raw vocal line.
Plucked from his upcoming album Wooden Cave, there’s a retro accent to the track, with the melody soulful and achingly pure. Self-described as “cosmic Americana” – nice choice of words –ย it’s something of a throwback to the days of Small Faces, featuring a slick guitar tone reminiscent of the Eagles’ glory days (this song is slowly but surely becoming a melting-pot of this reviewer’s favourite artists, with an intro that screams Fleetwood Mac). That’s not to say that this is an imitation by any means – Thin Lear‘s sound is terrifically unique, something we can relate to but feel that we haven’t heard before.
The lyrics are poignant and a tad bittersweet, inspired by the passing of a beloved grandfather. They tackle the subject of death and rebirth head on, not afraid to shy away from an emotionally taxing subject. There’s always a risk of tracks of this nature falling into the trap of saccharinity, but Thin Lear manages to deftly avoid this, resulting in an intelligent and smooth record.
Complete with a rose-tinted piano accompaniment, it’s contemplative and bright, with an authentic sound that holds its own amongst the bombardment of monotonous chart noise we’ve simply become desensitised to. It’s a little difficult to pin down exactly who Matt Longo’s voice reminds us of – the closest we can come to is a male Stevie Nicks (if she’d consumed a bit more Manuka honey).
Here’s hoping for a revival of old school indie rock, spearheaded by our new favourite East-NY based artist!
