Undiscovered Gems – Pretty Moi, Close Talker, Kenny Sharp, Imaginary Tricks
By Kenny Sharp
This post first appeared on thewildiscallingme.
Pretty Moi caught our attention with their new single Richard Parker. An exciting energetic arrangement combines an array of stylistic realms and blends them elegantly. Flashes of vintage psychedelic soul collide with new melodic inclinations known to indie rock.
The retro blues guitar flash recalls The Black Keys while the exotic appeal bears a semblance to Khruangbhin. The rhythm design and flute arrangement pulls more from experimental soul psychedelia, harkening back to founders like Hendrix and the intense arrangements heard on Electric Ladyland. It’s a comparison we don’t get to make often, and we assure you it lives up to the hype. Dig in!
Richard Parker is featured on our Best New Indie Playlist.
We got tangled in the catchy call and response rhythm design of Papier-Mâché, the new single from Close Talker. This indie rock infused pop recalls the infectious appeal known to Spoon and Phoenix. It’s absolutely danceable within a new indie rock framework. Like the Footloose style soundtrack of our lives Close Talker challenges you to resist their urban pump and cool kid attitude. We can’t imagine staying in our seat when this one hits the setlist.
These Canadian rockers have real buzz potential and a vintage rock aesthetic, pushing their sound through the States via DIY tours with old school intentions. Papier-Mâché should add some more Internet discoveries to the mix, it’s simply a great record for Close Talker to hang their hat on.
Hear Papier-Mâché now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
Kenny Sharp is classic catchy with his new single The Louvre. The vibe adapts the nostalgia known to Motown and vintage soul and updates it with new sonic reverence. It’s an edgier response to the works of Silk Sonic. It blends a dirtier modern influence into that design, recalling the expansive works of Leon Bridgers, Frank Ocean, and The Alabama Shakes. For us Kenny Sharp is a sure thing for fans of those projects. That offers Sharp a broad scope of influence, one that can attract fans from the both the mainstream and the underground.
You can’t deny the magnetic flash heard in the singles infectious chorus. The Louvre is a hit. We’ve never heard a trip to an iconic art museum sound so exotic, and it amplifies Sharp’s unique insight. A trip to The Louvre is absolutely romantic.
Hear The Louvre now on our Best New Indie Playlist.
We were drawn into the imaginative design of Dreamy Eyes, the new single from Imaginary Tricks. An array of sparkling chimes and soft synths dance around the atmosphere as an eruptive beat breaks you out of your trance. That initial drop is both energizing and captivating, bolstered by the crisp punchy tonal presence of the both the bass and drums. From there the intrigue and surprise never lags.
Dreamy Eyes delivers from start to finish. From the guitar work to the production, every contribution adds to the collective creative shine. This is the evolution we hoped to hear out of the influence of projects like Tame Impala and Kevin Morby. Imaginary Tricks offer a new musicality that blends traits of Afrobeat and fusion. We can dig it.
Hear Dreamy Eyes now on our Best New Indie Playlist.