“Heaven” is a stylish take on the Talking Heads’ classic, from Soft People, the queer indie pop duo from California comprising of Caleb Nichols and John Metz. First catching my ear with the track “Ramon” last October, off the stellar album Absolute Boys.
“Heaven” builds with climactic, atmospheric appeal to the classic “heaven is a place,” chorus. A galloping bass complements fervent vocal escalation, traversing seamlessly back into the verses, capturing David Byrne’s hybrid of spoken-word and melodic whimsy. In addition to this successful take on “Heaven,” Soft People’s new EP also features a cover of David Lynch’s “In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator),” from Eraserhead. The duo beautifully capture the sound of two chief influences in David Byrne and David Lynch.
The chorus to “Heaven” also features vocals from Rogue Wave, Strange Pilgrim, Some Ember, and Two Sheds. The release’s conceptual artwork is via bandmate and frequent collaborator Noah Kwid (former frontman of LA band Dirt Dress).
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“Heaven” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of February 2021’ Spotify playlist.
