Washed Out
I love the end of the year because a lot of music blogs post "best of" lists. This post isn't one of those, although we'll have a "NR best of" on Brightest Young Things in a week or two. My friend April over at Killahbeez posted a nice wrap up, and reminded me about Washed Out.
I remember hearing about Washed Out a few months ago. His sound is saturated and warm, yet ambient. But it's not futuristic - His EP sounds like it could've been made with a tape deck.
According to Pitchfork, Washed Out is Ernest Greene, a young guy from Georgia (via South Carolina) who makes bedroom synthpop that sounds blurred and woozily evocative, like someone smeared Vaseline all over an early OMD demo tape, then stayed up all night trying to recreate what they heard.
There’s a sense of longing and distance in Greene’s somber, filtered vocals, but it’s what he does compositionally that makes Washed Out stand out. Backed by gently pulsing, Balearic-tinged disco, Greene’s voice takes on a new dimension. Reminiscent of groups like The Glass and the Chromatics, Washed Out is the music to end your night with, when the city is quiet and the walk home, long.
Check out his track "Belong."