The Late Cord
Lights from the Wheelhouse
4AD/Remote Control

This EP is an almost overstated tribute to the idea of contrast, which could in part be due to the respective musical backgrounds of its two members. John-Mark Lapham is also known as a member of UK's The Earlies, an experimental orch-pop group to which he contributes samples and electronics, whereas Micah P. Hinson has gained recognition in recent times as a Cohen-esque singer-songwriter. This concept of contrast filters through and permeates the very fabric of their music: antiquated organ drones, pockets of plucked banjo, guitar and thumb piano butt frequently with washes of synthesized textures, rhythmic loops and reverb drenched electronics. Compositionally the duo manifest contrast by building lush, epic soundscapes laden with peripheral detail, as heard in opener Lila Blue and My Most Meaningful Relationships Are With Dead People, only to pull in the reins at the crescendo to leave a comparatively sparse coda of dry acoustic fingerpicking.

Similarly, the emotional pull of the disc is rooted in triumphant sorrow, a positive negativity, negative positivity. This is best exemplified in Chains/Strings, a heart-wrenching cello piece that captures the notion in the most painfully beautiful way. Elsewhere, Hinson's voice resembles that of Bill Callahan in its rich deep tones, aiding to convey further emotive weight; on My Most Meaningful Relationships..., Lapham's father, an erstwhile member of Buddy Holly's first backing band The Picks, shadows Hinson's vocal with soft melancholic chanting.

Jack Wilde