ANDREW BIRD, THE SOFT MOON

This week is light on the new releases, but the ones we do have are really appropriate to kick off autumn. San Francisco’s The Soft Moon released their sophomore LP, Zeros, which is just out-there enough to pair nicely with Halloween! Complementing these strange, futuristic vibes, we find Andrew Bird sharing an EP which boasts simple, yet (of course) gorgeous folk tunes.

This week, the always amazing Andrew Bird (@andrewbird) released a follow-up to his spring full-length, Break It Yourself. The eight-song EP, entitled Hands of Glory, is being released digitally and on vinyl. Hands of Glory gives off much stronger classic-folk vibes than its predecessor, a strange, gorgeous, and genre-transcendent album. Although we’ve grown to love Bird’s experimental style, it turns out (spoiler alert) he’s pretty darn fantastic at the simpler folk game as well. For those of us who cringe at the thought of a quirkless Bird song, don’t fret — I think I hear a theremin.

Die Life – The Soft Moon // Buy

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Insides – The Soft Moon // Buy

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A couple years ago, someone recommended The Soft Moon (@thesoftmoon) to me. I was itching for new music, so I bought their first, self-titled album without listening to it. Because of the name, I pictured them being kind of mellow, orchestral, and I don’t know — soft. The five-piece San Franciscan band, however, is nothing of the sort. At times hyper, at others beautiful, their undeniably assertive sound is best described as intense, futuristic post-punk. This week’s release, Zeros, carries through it a distinct, “creepy” vibe featuring howling synths, gratuitous ambience, and wailing vocals, making it a really wonderful album to help get you amped up for Halloween.