Morning recordings

Every once in a while, I trawl the net for good music. It takes some effort, and most of what I find is either boring or rubbish. But I also come upon some (for me) unexpected, never-heard-of gems. A while ago, I randomly downloaded an album by Morning recordings called The Welcome Kinetic. Even though I've never been too much of a chamber pop fan (Belle & Sebastian is good if I don't listen to it too often), I would still use that concept to describe their dynamic, floating music. We're talking about beautifully orchestrated pop and post-rock that never feels over the top or too lush or too laid-back. "Elegance" might not strike you as a virtue when it comes to pop music, but I must confess that this album is elegant in a spaced-out, eerie kind of way. Most of the songs contain vibraphones, and it is these sounds that build the backbone of the music. Some songs are vocal. The vocals remind me of a lot of things, ranging from Broadcast, Parker & Lily, Panda bear to early Beach Boys. Musically, the albums makes me think of The Sea & Cake, Lambchop and The Gentleman losers. And some old movie soundtracks.

I like this album because it contains so many influences without sounding like the type of music that tries to draw on different sources because that is what cool music "should" do. It's not inward-looking, nerdy eclecticism. The atmosphere of the album displays a sense of warmth I think I come across all-too seldomly.

The other finding of this week is Karate. I've only heard one album so far, but I hope the others are just as great. Compared to Morning recordings, Karate is much edgier. But some of the instrumental interludes could be said to have something in common with the other band. A hint of jazz. Groove.