Lapse

First album in 13 years by one of the original slowcore musicians. Bandleader Jeff Martin, based in LA, has been recording since the early 1980s, and he has an uncommonly steadfast attention to texture: guitar swells evoking desert landscapes, exquisite low-end, the close-mic'd grain of his understated singing. Many of the lyrics seem to reflect on Martin's youth: trying to fit in, falling in love with music, going through heartbreak. Slow-burning and lovely. (Idaho played on KZSU back in 2002, and the library is packed with their gemlike albums and EPs.) RIYL Early Day Miners, Bedhead, Duster, Acetone, the American Analog Set. Favorites: 1, 3, 8, 9. FCC WARNING: 2.

1. *(3:33)—Mid-tempo, loping, gentle. Lovely slide-guitar effects.
2. (3:11)—FCC (f***). Slow, like funk at half-speed.
3. *(3:18)—Mid-tempo, wistful, with prominent marimba. "I'm from the west side / you can't tell by looking but I almost did blend in."
4. (2:31)—Mid-tempo, with stocky riffs. Like a stripped-down '90s alt-rock radio hit.
5. (2:40)—Slow, with woozy, minimal guitar.
6. (4:08)—Slow and gentle, with soft, layered backing vocals. Extended ending with a field recording.
7. (3:34)—Very slow. Ominous and shimmering, with bitter lyrics.
8. *(2:52)—Slow groove, with lovely feedbacking guitar and lyrics about the desert.
9. *(4:10)—Very slow, menacing. The rumbling bass really stands out at the beginning, with rich organ and synth textures creeping in later.
10. (1:20)—Instrumental, no drums. Feedbacking guitar, dramatic keys, outdoor sounds.