Media

John Vanderslice: "Sea Salt"

1:25 p.m. · January 5, 2011 · by Erik Ziedses des Plantes

John Vanderslice's new album, White Wilderness, was recorded live over a three day period with the Magik*Magik Orchestra, an approach that does plenty of favors for Vanderslice's confessional brand of indie pop. Opening track "Sea Salt" contains plenty of unpolished energy that reveals itself in subtle ways, like in the heavy thud of the bass, the tentative piano playing, and in Vanderslice's voice during the verses, which sounds weary at an almost Will Oldham-like level. On a more straightforward level, the orchestration is pretty great as well. Give it a spin over at Stereogum.

White Wilderness is due out Jan. 25 via Dead Oceans.