Have some chill. You made it through the first workweek of the year. Cheers.
1. “Obstacle Eyes” – Morgan Delt. Walking-pace psychedelia that calls up the Beatles without being derivative. Lots of chill vibes here.
2. “Raised Incorruptible” – New Mongrels. Gospel-infused folk that strikes all the right notes and tugs the heartstrings. Check that accordion.
3. “Ice Age XVII (DEMO)” – Kye Alfred Hillig. Hillig always manages to jam a sense of wonder and deep gravitas into the same space. This delicate song is no different.
4. “Dusk” – Jon Kohen. If the Postal Service had been more into fingerpicking an acoustic guitar, this could have resulted. Major props for including electronics without letting them dominate the tune.
5. “Thanks for All” – Exzavier Whitley. If Iron and Wine’s original tunes had been a little more excitable, you’d have the sort of joyous, imperfect rhythms and melodies that Whitley gives us here.
6. “Liquid Night” – Lucas O’Connell. The hushed vocal style of Elliott Smith meets a rustic, streetlamp-lit mood for a swaying, horn-touched ballad.