[mpFree] Elegant Animals’ Spectrum Nocturnal EP

Who knew that much of the new music in this new-ish decade would be occupied by white boy r&b? How To Dress Well, Holy Other, James Blake, Supreme Cuts, THE-DRUM and dozens more are occupying this space just as aggressively as many a white boy did the chillwave scene in 2009 (and, yes, still today). But no one seems to be sick of the soul groove scene just yet, and I still find it pretty fascinating to explore.

Elegant Animals – Syndicate

Philadelphia’s Elegant Animals is the latest group to enter the crowding territory of soul pop, and on “Syndicate” they show that they’re much more than a HTDW ripoff or James Blake fanboys. With tropicalia percussion loops, ripe guitar licks and downtempo piano as a backdrop, the soul-filled vocals can relax, not quite in the background but not as prominently face planting as How To Dress Well’s shrill wailing or Holy Others ghostily pitch shifted R&B vocal samples. “Syndicate” cuts pretty deep in a lot of ways, over a good five minutes, showing that there’s a much wider spectrum of possible sounds and styles still waiting inside this genre’s mini movement.

You can download Elegant Animals debut Spectrum Nocturnal EP for free at their bandcamp page »