For years, Earlimart have paired lush, lovely acoustic guitar songwriting with disenchantment. On their new album System Preferences, Earlimart refer to the music they formed on their six prior releases and touch on the disillusionment with and acceptance of: technology, complex relationships, and lost weekends. The new album also showcases bandmates Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray as confident as ever – both as songwriters and producers. On the band’s first single “97 Heart Attack“, Espinoza and Murray’s calm vocals, reserved guitar strumming, and stomping rhythm make for a resounding listen. “10 Years” quietly builds from a washy guitar and baroque keyboard to Murray’s soaring vocals, which pulls you back from taking off as she whispers “I’ve got nothing without you”. Starting with an MPC machine and Murray’s coyly optimistic vocals, “Get Used to the Sound” ends with a dreamy layering of keyboard and guitar which makes for one of the album’s most upbeat tracks. Recorded at Espinoza‘s studio in Los Angeles, System Preferences is a lovely soundtrack for a sad, beautiful world.
RIYL: Grandaddy, Pedro the Lion, Caribou, Elliott Smith
Recommended Tracks: track #5 “97 Heart Attack”, track #11 “Internet Summer”, track #1 “U&ME”, track #9 “Get Used to the Sound”
FCC WARNING: track #7 “Crestline, CA.”
Label: The Ship