Daniel Bachman – “Scrumpy”
Prodigious neo-folk guitarist Daniel Bachman wants to turn over a new leaf. At least, that’s what I’ve gleaned from musings on his upcoming album, The Morning Star. After experiencing changes in his political, physical, and emotional landscape, the Fredericksburg, Virginia native decided to use these destabilizing forces to propel himself and his music forward rather than remaining stagnant.
On this LP, you can expect to hear sprawling, ambient tracks upwards of 10 minutes, progressive compositional structures, and field recordings of the natural world to ground you back in reality after losing yourself in the otherworldliness of Bachman’s psychedelic-infused Appalachia. Bachman has always been one for reflection, environmental motifs, and hypnotizing guitar picking in his songs, and his forthcoming seventh record picks up where his 2016 self-titled album left off, but shifts into a new, droning direction.
Today, we’re elated to premiere “Scrumpy,” the album’s second single following “New Moon.” It’s an eerie track with overlapping string textures that stretch ominously over one another, building up tension and dense layers of sound along the way. The tempos unravel in moments of diffuse silence and then come back together and congeal at unexpected moments; it’s like watching a petree dish teeming with amoebas through a microscope. The song holds you captive, almost entrancing you into a sort of meditative state while doing so, but its melodies float over the surface and open themselves up to reveal a soft interiority. It’s really a transcendent experience, give it a listen below and see where it takes you.
TOUR DATES:
07/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
08/19 – New York, NY @ Trans-Pecos
The Morning Star comes out July 27 via Three Lobed Recordings.
