New project Drinker shows us what happens when a film composer inspired by Cliff Martinez pairs with a singer-songwriter with a knack for eliciting catchiness from beautiful, laid-back soundscapes.
Debut single, “Which Way Is South,” from their forthcoming EP, Happy Accident, is ripe for repeat listens — not only because of the addictive melodies, but also because each new experience yields something richer and deeper in the composition. This is a credit to the artists behind the project: The Eyes of My Mother composer Ariel Loh and musician Aaron Mendelsohn.
This debut Drinker single is an atmospheric synthpop/indiepop cut that on its face seems supremely minimalist, but it’s not. On the back of a steady mid-tempo beat, the arrangement unfurls Martinez-level icy synths, spacey guitar noodlings, trickling piano runs, poignant bass support and soothing vocals bathed in contemplative stylings.
In fact, you’re going to need to listen to it a few times to truly understand it. This is the power of the composition.
At first, it sounds like a damn fine song by a supergroup consisting of Air and alt-J’s Joe Newman. But on the second, third, and 12th listen, there is a deeper connection that forms between the artists and the listener: In the uncertainty faced by protagonist in the lyrics; in the impeccable tapestry of the music; and through the idea that perhaps we’re witnessing the birth of what could become everyone’s favorite new band.
The song is available through the usual channels via Dollar Slice Records. The Happy Accident EP release date is supremely TBD.
(BTW, Waxwork Records will soon release a vinyl version of Loh’s score for Eyes.)
