“Red Eye” — The Album Leaf
Experimental, one man post-rock extraordinaire, James LaValle, has always been reliable for providing an abundance of hauntingly introspective melodies while striking up head-bobbing grooves in ethereal orchestrations with a subdued yet distinctly mystical quality. Formerly involved with ambient colleagues in Sigur Rós and the Black Heart Procession, LaValle goes it alone with his project, The Album Leaf (allowing room for a few guest instrumentalists and vocals here and there, of course).
As explorative rock music goes, it’s easy for listeners to become complacent, lose interest and ignore the tacit intricacies of the songs. However, in my eyes, The Album Leaf is one of the “good ones,” so to speak. Another one of LaValle’s shimmering compositions, “Red Eye,” fits in this rarely explored gray area between soothingly slow-burn and engagingly toe-tappable. The track opens with a few bars of dreamy keyboards until the digital beat kicks in and gets you hooked. Slowly, LaValle layers the instruments on one-by-one but remains restrained.
As subtle as it is catchy, this tune is sure to be a faithful companion for a well-placed, reflective night drive.
Click below to listen:
About the Author
Chase Larson is the founder of SOUND. He has written for Men’s Journal, Deseret News, Daily Herald, Rhombus and worked as an editor at the The Daily Universe. When he’s not involved in one of the aforementioned pursuits, he sleeps. Very well. Follow him on Twitter at @chasemlarson, Google+ or at his website ChaseLarson.com.
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