Pekoe Cat – “Northern Light” + “Weary of the Clown”

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Pekoe Cat (Kyle Woolven) showed ample versatility on his recent album Digital Chaos, exploring a variety of electronic soundscapes while retaining a sound fondly akin to early Ariel Pink, particularly in his grasp of synth-touched lo-fi psychedelia. Highlights ranged from the psych-folk pull of “Superstore” and “Test” to the colorful “Rollercoaster Ways”, which sports some nifty Animal Collective vibes. In celebration of Canada Day on July 1st, the Canadian artist released a new track called “Northern Light”, which he refers to as “an alternative folk-rock song.” It touts a jumpy, powerful hook, with perhaps his most accessible aesthetic to date. The transition to a more somber sound at 01:18 is brief, though does remarkably well in making the chorus glow even more. It’s a fine piece of songwriting from an artist who has already shown eclectic, melodic charm.

“Weary of the Clown” is another recent one from Woolven, going back to the more psych-friendly, versatile format that reminded of Ariel Pink. This is one of my favorites to date from him. Pekoe Cat is firmly one of the year’s most productive, successful new acts.

Mike Mineo

I'm the founder/editor of Obscure Sound, which was formed in 2006. Previously, I wrote for PopMatters and Stylus Magazine.

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