Photo by Josh Drew
GOON, the project of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Kenny Becker, will return on Friday with their new two-part EP, Paint By Numbers, which will be released via démodé recordings.
It’s been nearly three years since we got new music from the group, who have turned a new page stylistically with the new release.
On the early single “Garden Of Our Neighbor” the band showcases a more experimental freak-folk side that has elements of Alex G and Sparklehorse, taking you towards a more challenging but equally rewarding place.
About the track, Becker adds:
I wrote and recorded this song entirely in one night. I met up with our drummer, Andy at our rehearsal spot that day, recorded him drumming along to a simple midi chord progression, had the chords on a loop, and record him drumming into the Tascam 5 minutes at a time…..I got really excited by the idea of having strong contrast between intimate small vocals and massive synths and drums. Vocally, I was really going for a Sparklehorse vibe: up close, super dry, not double-tracked. Not something I’ve really tried much before, but I love how it came out
Then there is the hypnotic “Fruiting Body” a track that finds an oddly catching melody with wistful vocals and beautiful eerire and hazy melodies that capture a spiritual sense that will uplift the soul. Think very early Animal Collective Sung Tongs-esque era. The track is described as being “inspired by a long walk on a rainy day along the LA river.”
As Becker describes further:
It’s kinda loose, but I felt like I was trying to get at the contrast between nostalgia and the present. Not that there’s anything wrong with looking back fondly at the past, it can obviously bring great joy. But sometimes to prevent myself from spiraling into an inescapable pit of sentimentality, I try to ground myself in the present. I think this is reflected in the first verse which looks at “worms in the leaf bed” where presumably the “pink glass” is found. And then, by contrast, the second verse is centered more on simple, small things happening in the present moment: my cat on the windowsill watching something, my mint plant beside her.
You can find both songs available to stream now below and stay tuned for the full EP release this Friday.
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