Louis Barby's project as Slow Cooked is all about warping expectations. For four years, the musician has pushed the boundaries of what to expect from the cello, crafting unexpected, sensual, satirical, and suspenseful compositions about wading through a corporate existence. Last year, he released his debut EP Plastic Values, which foreshadowed the brilliant things to expect from the fixture in the London DIY scene. Little did anyone know that meant a cult of Vin Diesels.
"Vest Poets" opens with an anxious ringing and sweaty breaths. Barby's heaving vocal delivery sort of recalls the intimate punk of Model/Actriz. But instead of building to a crescendo of bleeding guitars, "Vest Poets" gives way to a delicate piano-based bridge. "Let it break/ Give my soul away to cringe/ Armoured jokes and irony/ But my body fits the vest/ Spoken word/ Just like the rest," he sings softly. Slow Cooked balances absurd humour with our absurd scrolling reality.
In the accompanying video, Barby lies in his bedroom that's covered with Vin Diesel paraphernalia. He's scrolled upon what seems to be a Fast And Furious cult? Fanclub? And it's during this tender break of the song that he comes to his true self, shaving his head and joining the ranks of his fellow drifters.
Watch the video directed by Barby and Corey Rid below.
