Currently living and working in Chicago, Spencer Radcliffe still calls Ohio home. Anticipating which direction he will be growing next as an artist, however, is not as easy to pinpoint. After self-releasing a number of brief albums recorded at different points in time throughout scattered locations, the multi-instrumentalist turned the ear of the underground in his direction last year with the release of Brown Horse, a split cassette on Orchid Tapes alongside R.L. Kelly. This fall, he joins Run for Cover Records for the release of his debut full-length, Looking In. The album, recorded in solitude at Queen Mary's Lighthouse in Chicago, encompasses all corners of Radcliffe's songwriting style, leaving no part of his sonic map uncovered. Guitars and carefully outlined drums accentuate his pop craft on tracks such as “Mia” and “Yankee.” Traditional songwriting methods come apart naturally elsewhere through tumbling Rhodes piano, modified electronics, and brass in disarray. The one instrument that stitches the album's atypical patchwork together is Radcliffe’s voice, allowing listeners to draw up their own impressions of his often equivocal work.
Snapdragon Sweetgum this album is an audacious gentle beast with alex g's sense of chord progression after it ate mushrooms and learned a lot about life.
the use of horns, synths, samples, acoustic guitar, and even [wine] glasses and other unique percussion (idk what this dude is doing in all honestly, but he sure does) in modern music, and the incredible realist lyricism that goes beyond poetry you hear pop punk artists sing nowadays, make this probably my favorite album of the year- just because of the genre spencer creates for himself. salesman just seems loudest to me- these songs are undeniably grand. Favorite track: Salesman.
Evan Gordon This album is the most engaging & impressive piece of art I've heard in years. A collection of crazed thoughts presented with a child's grin. An orchestra of deranged monks learning how to communicate again. The darkness lurks just below the surface, but it never engages you. This is the best album that Yoni Wolf forgot to write in 2002-03. It's such an exciting time to be alive. Favorite track: Other Side.
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