The touching, gorgeous “Lift Your Head” was just released today from singer/songwriter Ben Talmi, who has impressed us with his sound since 2010. Since then, Talmi has made notable contributions to releases by Tokyo Police Club, Manchester Orchestra, and Wild Nothing. For the latter specifically, Talmi’s string arrangements on Nocturne opener “Shadow” made it one of my favorites from that year.
Naturally, Talmi’s own solo material is very worthwhile, indicated by last month’s hook-y and vibrant track “Life Is But a Dream“. “Lift Your Head” – another cut off his forthcoming full-length Distractionism – does well in showing Talmi’s lusher side. Simple acoustics and delicate vocals kick things off, leading into Talmi’s typically gorgeous string arrangements during the first chorus. Gentle percussion enters in the next batch of verses, eventually leading to an infectious, wordless refrain around 02:20 that haunts.
