The Letter Yellow

Like the beginning lines of his album's new signature song, with a cup of fresh brewed coffee in hand, Randy Bergida sits on a bench outside Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn taking in the street scene. It was on a day, very much like this Thursday a year or so ago, when his journey towards the formation of The Letter Yellow began.
?
In 2011, a year after taking a sabbatical from writing and performing music, Randy began to get the familiar feeling he gets when music is about to be created. Where some call it getting in a 'creative mood," this musician/composer describes it as "kind of an itch." In other words, it is less of a mood than a compelling reason to write. It's the type of wisdom he has since acquired after many years, and many versions of writing temperament.
?
Randy Bergida began writing early. He had acquired his love of music and the guitar from his sister's boyfriends at the age of ten. Passionate and driven, though not fully adept yet, he spent hours developing his skill, learning theory and technique. At 18 he moved to Arizona to study music at the University of Tucson. Then fresh out of university he moved to the Colestein Valley of Mt. Ashland in Oregon. As we get to know him more we realize Bergida is, if nothing else, poetic in his view of life.
?
His purpose in Mt. Ashland was to find his voice, his personhood in his music. He surmised--perhaps too innocently--that living in solace, surrounded by the beauty of nature would precipitate an epiphany and he would come down the mountain with clarity and the definitive perspective of music and life. So like John the Baptist in the Wilderness, Buddha on the countryside and Moses on a mountain, he patiently reflected. Music was his mantra.
?
To pay his rent, he hitchhiked into town and played his original music in cafes. Still he spent most of his time in solitude. This self imposed exile surrounded by overwhelming beauty was an experience that illuminated profound thoughts and emotions. Looking back at this period in his music composition, it's little wonder the music that he derived from them betrayed highs as steep as a mountain and lows as deep as the valley.
?
Armed with inspiration and a new insight, Randy took his music first to Tucson, Arizona, and later to Portland, Oregon. In 2000 he joined a group that will later be known as Skidmore Fountain, a band he would belong to for ten years until it officially disbanded in 2010.
?
There were many transformations since the group came together. Along with changing aliases were many other changes: changes in sound and a pivotal move to New York City in 2004. In Greenpoint, Brooklyn they found home and a following that would keep them playing.
?
But as is with any long-term relationship, Randy explained, sometimes those in it just come to realize one day that they have reached the end of their journey together. This was the case with Skidmore Fountain, which decided as a band to play one last time in January of 2010. Resolved to remain friends, they went to tread their own paths, leaving Bergida to set sail on his own.
?
From the very beginning, he was uncomfortable about going solo. Now used to being regarded as part of a whole, he was uneasy referring to and promoting himself, which is key in a solo act. Plus, performing alone wasn't as fun. With no band mates with whom to interact on stage, the introvert soloist missed the exchange of energy and the feeling of community.
?
So he did what he had done previously. He took some time off to reflect, this time walking the many streets of New York endlessly.?
?
To his surprise, or perhaps not exactly a surprise, the concrete jungle revealed its own set of truths. The bustle of the streets during rush hour and the cool silent reprieve of the late hours somehow lit inspiration during otherwise gloomy times.
?
Still adamantly committed to completing the process though, he would wait almost a full year before he began to write again.
?
By 2011, the cycle was complete and it was time to scratch the itch to create. He would make many essential decisions at this turning point, the first of which was to change his method of composing, among other more personal matters. This was a necessary step he was very much reluctant to do but would lead to the writing of the first song in the album, "Change."
?
"You gotta change with the current of time or get left behind. 'Cause there's no place like you I'd rather go, all of the time. You gotta change, I don't want to change."
?
?One significant change Randy made was to simplify his music, focusing on strong rhythm and melodies. "My writing used to be overly complex," he recalled. "It was almost like I was writing to impress myself. Now I've learned not to overanalyze things and to remind myself to just have a good time."
?
And a good time in writing he did have, writing - Classiques Modernes

Like the beginning lines of his album's new signature song, with a cup of fresh brewed coffee in hand, Randy Bergida sits on a bench outside Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn taking in the street scene. It was on a day, very much like this Thursday a year or so ago, when his journey towards the formation of The Letter Yellow began.
?
In 2011, a year after taking a sabbatical from writing and performing music, Randy began to get the familiar feeling he gets when music is about to be created. Where some call it getting in a 'creative mood," this musician/composer describes it as "kind of an itch." In other words, it is less of a mood than a compelling reason to write. It's the type of wisdom he has since acquired after many years, and many versions of writing temperament.
?
Randy Bergida began writing early. He had acquired his love of music and the guitar from his sister's boyfriends at the age of ten. Passionate and driven, though not fully adept yet, he spent hours developing his skill, learning theory and technique. At 18 he moved to Arizona to study music at the University of Tucson. Then fresh out of university he moved to the Colestein Valley of Mt. Ashland in Oregon. As we get to know him more we realize Bergida is, if nothing else, poetic in his view of life.
?
His purpose in Mt. Ashland was to find his voice, his personhood in his music. He surmised--perhaps too innocently--that living in solace, surrounded by the beauty of nature would precipitate an epiphany and he would come down the mountain with clarity and the definitive perspective of music and life. So like John the Baptist in the Wilderness, Buddha on the countryside and Moses on a mountain, he patiently reflected. Music was his mantra.
?
To pay his rent, he hitchhiked into town and played his original music in cafes. Still he spent most of his time in solitude. This self imposed exile surrounded by overwhelming beauty was an experience that illuminated profound thoughts and emotions. Looking back at this period in his music composition, it's little wonder the music that he derived from them betrayed highs as steep as a mountain and lows as deep as the valley.
?
Armed with inspiration and a new insight, Randy took his music first to Tucson, Arizona, and later to Portland, Oregon. In 2000 he joined a group that will later be known as Skidmore Fountain, a band he would belong to for ten years until it officially disbanded in 2010.
?
There were many transformations since the group came together. Along with changing aliases were many other changes: changes in sound and a pivotal move to New York City in 2004. In Greenpoint, Brooklyn they found home and a following that would keep them playing.
?
But as is with any long-term relationship, Randy explained, sometimes those in it just come to realize one day that they have reached the end of their journey together. This was the case with Skidmore Fountain, which decided as a band to play one last time in January of 2010. Resolved to remain friends, they went to tread their own paths, leaving Bergida to set sail on his own.
?
From the very beginning, he was uncomfortable about going solo. Now used to being regarded as part of a whole, he was uneasy referring to and promoting himself, which is key in a solo act. Plus, performing alone wasn't as fun. With no band mates with whom to interact on stage, the introvert soloist missed the exchange of energy and the feeling of community.
?
So he did what he had done previously. He took some time off to reflect, this time walking the many streets of New York endlessly.?
?
To his surprise, or perhaps not exactly a surprise, the concrete jungle revealed its own set of truths. The bustle of the streets during rush hour and the cool silent reprieve of the late hours somehow lit inspiration during otherwise gloomy times.
?
Still adamantly committed to completing the process though, he would wait almost a full year before he began to write again.
?
By 2011, the cycle was complete and it was time to scratch the itch to create. He would make many essential decisions at this turning point, the first of which was to change his method of composing, among other more personal matters. This was a necessary step he was very much reluctant to do but would lead to the writing of the first song in the album, "Change."
?
"You gotta change with the current of time or get left behind. 'Cause there's no place like you I'd rather go, all of the time. You gotta change, I don't want to change."
?
?One significant change Randy made was to simplify his music, focusing on strong rhythm and melodies. "My writing used to be overly complex," he recalled. "It was almost like I was writing to impress myself. Now I've learned not to overanalyze things and to remind myself to just have a good time."
?
And a good time in writing he did have, writing - Classiques Modernes

The debut album from Brooklyn’s The Letter Yellow. Rather than stay in one safe territory, these folks tread into several genres and styles on their first album. Some of the tracks are pop, some rock, some pensive, and some melancholy and beautiful. The band is the trio comprised of Randy Bergida (vocals, guitar, synth), Mike Thies (drums, percussion), and Abe Pollack (bass, lap steel, synth). Plenty of different moods here and the vocals can sometimes give you chills. Particularly incredible is the closing track “Southern Bound”…with a wonderful soft gliding melody that listeners won’t soon forget. Other standout cuts include “Changed,” “Hold Me Steady,” “I Got You,” and “In The Sun Making Waves.” - Baby Sue

The debut album from Brooklyn’s The Letter Yellow. Rather than stay in one safe territory, these folks tread into several genres and styles on their first album. Some of the tracks are pop, some rock, some pensive, and some melancholy and beautiful. The band is the trio comprised of Randy Bergida (vocals, guitar, synth), Mike Thies (drums, percussion), and Abe Pollack (bass, lap steel, synth). Plenty of different moods here and the vocals can sometimes give you chills. Particularly incredible is the closing track “Southern Bound”…with a wonderful soft gliding melody that listeners won’t soon forget. Other standout cuts include “Changed,” “Hold Me Steady,” “I Got You,” and “In The Sun Making Waves.” - Baby Sue

An all new edition of Artist Spotlight awaits! Today, we have an emerging indie band based out of Brooklyn, NY by the name of The Letter Yellow. The band consists of Randy Bergida, Mike Thies, and Abraham Pollock. The band’s music has a diverse and eclectic mixture of Death Cab For Cutie with a little bit of The Pixies thrown in for good measure that offers up a little something for the diverse music listener, even some blues influences are omnipresent in their music as well. It’s refreshing to hear bands branching out beyond their capabilities and are able to the task of dabbling in other genres that sometimes other upstart bands are afraid to try, or are more adept to staying within their comfort zone of music they play in which is fine, but sometimes you’ll find that growth by doing the latter can be kind of stagnant at times so you’ll have a greater degree of success by branching out in different areas that will make you stand out from the casual music fan. A great up and coming band that has all the keys necessary to stand and deliver to the concert going crowd. Some recommended tracks for you to have a listen at include “Out on The Streets” and “14 Bar Blues”.
For more info on the band, head on over to their Facebook page at:www.facebook.com/theletteryellow While you’re there, click the ‘Music’ tab to stream their music via their BandCamp site directly from Facebook so that you don’t have to open another window. The band is able to be followed on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/theletteryellow and stay up to date with what the band have going on at this very minute. Check out the band’s website as well at:theletteryellow.net to stay up to date on the latest round of tour dates they have that may be coming to your area relatively soon! - Music Box Pete by Peter Amara

An all new edition of Artist Spotlight awaits! Today, we have an emerging indie band based out of Brooklyn, NY by the name of The Letter Yellow. The band consists of Randy Bergida, Mike Thies, and Abraham Pollock. The band’s music has a diverse and eclectic mixture of Death Cab For Cutie with a little bit of The Pixies thrown in for good measure that offers up a little something for the diverse music listener, even some blues influences are omnipresent in their music as well. It’s refreshing to hear bands branching out beyond their capabilities and are able to the task of dabbling in other genres that sometimes other upstart bands are afraid to try, or are more adept to staying within their comfort zone of music they play in which is fine, but sometimes you’ll find that growth by doing the latter can be kind of stagnant at times so you’ll have a greater degree of success by branching out in different areas that will make you stand out from the casual music fan. A great up and coming band that has all the keys necessary to stand and deliver to the concert going crowd. Some recommended tracks for you to have a listen at include “Out on The Streets” and “14 Bar Blues”.
For more info on the band, head on over to their Facebook page at:www.facebook.com/theletteryellow While you’re there, click the ‘Music’ tab to stream their music via their BandCamp site directly from Facebook so that you don’t have to open another window. The band is able to be followed on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/theletteryellow and stay up to date with what the band have going on at this very minute. Check out the band’s website as well at:theletteryellow.net to stay up to date on the latest round of tour dates they have that may be coming to your area relatively soon! - Music Box Pete by Peter Amara

RANDY BERGIDA, yellow letters home
by Wobblehouse
http://wobblehouse.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/randy-bergida-yellow-letters-home/


best thing about The Letter Yellow’s WALKING DOWN THE STREETS?
I really connect to these songs. They were extremely natural to write
and being that the majority of the songs were written one after the
next in a span of a few months, there is a continuity that weaves
throughout all the different feels and colors of Walking Down The
Streets. I also love the freshness of the songs on the record in that
we had never performed prior to recording tracking. The idea was that
the songs had a well rehearsed touch, but they hadn’t been
overanalyzed and over structured. If a section wanted to extend
through the live tracking portion of the record, we went with it. The
spirit is in the recording and beyond all the fancy things you can do
post production, it’s the spirit that lives in the performance that
I’ve always connected to on a record.

2.0 – Did you have a sound in mind when you starting recording it or did it evolve?
The sound of the record was largely inspired by the 8×8 studio we
rehearsed in. It’s hard to imagine 3 people and all our instruments
in this room, but it’s possible. The limiter on the iphones was also
something that evolved our sound. Hearing everything in a tiny room
with a big limiter compressing the music to the point that everything
sounds good gave us much hope. When we were tracking with Quinn
McCarthy at The Creamery, we went ahead and recorded all the vocals
through the voxac30 as we would rehearse. In the end, Joel Hamilton
at studio G took the clean mike and gave the essence of the amp with
his military grade compressors (no joke).

3.0 – Do you consider branding & image as part of the artistic process?

I think of it more as just letting your personalities come out.
Pretty much the same way I think with clothing. It’s superficial yes,
but at the same time it’s nice for people to have an idea of who you
are just by looking at you. All I want is for the music and the image
to be an honest representation of us. I would give credit to image
being a part of the artistic process much like when I write, I think
about how the songs will translate live.

4.0 – When did you start writing songs and what was your first?

My first! oh my, I try to forget those songs, hahaha. I started
writing when I started playing the guitar around 10 or 11. I wasn’t
writing the same way I do now. I was just trying to get better at
playing the guitar and I wasn’t so fond of playing other peoples songs
quite yet. Plus I was so curious about theory that I would write
something and then try to analyze it. So I wrote little things that
challenged me. I never performed them. I think my first official
song I wrote was called “One/People Get Ready”. Of course both Curtis
Mayfield and Bob Marley have a song with that title and I’m honestly
not quite sure if they are the same. That always confused me.

5.0 – Do you have a philosophy when it comes to writing?
Yes, when it comes grab it. I have these moments of creativity and I
just know that these are my good songs. But I have to be organized
and make sure to write things down and record ideas. I have to
complete the lyrics before I can move on as coming back to lyrics
never works for me. They are there in that moment and it’s my job to
write them down then and there.

6.0 – And what about the stage and playing live?

I love it. It has always fueled my well being I feel. And it’s addictive.

7.0 – How did you catch the roots bug originally?

I suppose growing up in Indianapolis, it was a bit stagnant, but
getting out into nature was always fun and always lifted my spirits (I
never knew something like NYC would have the same effect on me).

8.0 – id you have to work at it or does it come naturally, or both?

Overall music came naturally, but I certainly have and still do work
very hard.

9.0 – What’s your favorite record of all-time?

That’s the heavy question. As I’m playing through my music library on
shuffle, all these great songs are coming on “Side with the Seas” off
SKy Blue Sky by Wilco, Curtis Mayfield, Live at Bitter End…The Best
of the Wailers (which is not a compilation oddly enough)…And then
theres my Billie Holiday Collection on vinyl that just blows my mind.
Nonetheless, if you were going to leave me with only one of these
songs/albums with the trapped on an island metaphor, it would have to
take the The Best of The Wailers. I’ve known those songs my whole
life and I still get happy every time I hear them.

10.0 – What was the first concert you attended and how did it impact your
life if at all?

The first concert I ever saw was John Mellencamp…he’s Indiana born
and bred like me. It was actually pretty awesome. After all, it was
my first concert and the venue, Dear Creek, is a really special venue
as it’s outdoors and country all - Wobblehouse

RANDY BERGIDA, yellow letters home
by Wobblehouse
http://wobblehouse.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/randy-bergida-yellow-letters-home/


best thing about The Letter Yellow’s WALKING DOWN THE STREETS?
I really connect to these songs. They were extremely natural to write
and being that the majority of the songs were written one after the
next in a span of a few months, there is a continuity that weaves
throughout all the different feels and colors of Walking Down The
Streets. I also love the freshness of the songs on the record in that
we had never performed prior to recording tracking. The idea was that
the songs had a well rehearsed touch, but they hadn’t been
overanalyzed and over structured. If a section wanted to extend
through the live tracking portion of the record, we went with it. The
spirit is in the recording and beyond all the fancy things you can do
post production, it’s the spirit that lives in the performance that
I’ve always connected to on a record.

2.0 – Did you have a sound in mind when you starting recording it or did it evolve?
The sound of the record was largely inspired by the 8×8 studio we
rehearsed in. It’s hard to imagine 3 people and all our instruments
in this room, but it’s possible. The limiter on the iphones was also
something that evolved our sound. Hearing everything in a tiny room
with a big limiter compressing the music to the point that everything
sounds good gave us much hope. When we were tracking with Quinn
McCarthy at The Creamery, we went ahead and recorded all the vocals
through the voxac30 as we would rehearse. In the end, Joel Hamilton
at studio G took the clean mike and gave the essence of the amp with
his military grade compressors (no joke).

3.0 – Do you consider branding & image as part of the artistic process?

I think of it more as just letting your personalities come out.
Pretty much the same way I think with clothing. It’s superficial yes,
but at the same time it’s nice for people to have an idea of who you
are just by looking at you. All I want is for the music and the image
to be an honest representation of us. I would give credit to image
being a part of the artistic process much like when I write, I think
about how the songs will translate live.

4.0 – When did you start writing songs and what was your first?

My first! oh my, I try to forget those songs, hahaha. I started
writing when I started playing the guitar around 10 or 11. I wasn’t
writing the same way I do now. I was just trying to get better at
playing the guitar and I wasn’t so fond of playing other peoples songs
quite yet. Plus I was so curious about theory that I would write
something and then try to analyze it. So I wrote little things that
challenged me. I never performed them. I think my first official
song I wrote was called “One/People Get Ready”. Of course both Curtis
Mayfield and Bob Marley have a song with that title and I’m honestly
not quite sure if they are the same. That always confused me.

5.0 – Do you have a philosophy when it comes to writing?
Yes, when it comes grab it. I have these moments of creativity and I
just know that these are my good songs. But I have to be organized
and make sure to write things down and record ideas. I have to
complete the lyrics before I can move on as coming back to lyrics
never works for me. They are there in that moment and it’s my job to
write them down then and there.

6.0 – And what about the stage and playing live?

I love it. It has always fueled my well being I feel. And it’s addictive.

7.0 – How did you catch the roots bug originally?

I suppose growing up in Indianapolis, it was a bit stagnant, but
getting out into nature was always fun and always lifted my spirits (I
never knew something like NYC would have the same effect on me).

8.0 – id you have to work at it or does it come naturally, or both?

Overall music came naturally, but I certainly have and still do work
very hard.

9.0 – What’s your favorite record of all-time?

That’s the heavy question. As I’m playing through my music library on
shuffle, all these great songs are coming on “Side with the Seas” off
SKy Blue Sky by Wilco, Curtis Mayfield, Live at Bitter End…The Best
of the Wailers (which is not a compilation oddly enough)…And then
theres my Billie Holiday Collection on vinyl that just blows my mind.
Nonetheless, if you were going to leave me with only one of these
songs/albums with the trapped on an island metaphor, it would have to
take the The Best of The Wailers. I’ve known those songs my whole
life and I still get happy every time I hear them.

10.0 – What was the first concert you attended and how did it impact your
life if at all?

The first concert I ever saw was John Mellencamp…he’s Indiana born
and bred like me. It was actually pretty awesome. After all, it was
my first concert and the venue, Dear Creek, is a really special venue
as it’s outdoors and country all - Wobblehouse

After years of playing with Portland rockers Skidmore Fountain, guitarist and vocalist Randy Bergida broke off to form The Letter Yellow. The Brooklyn-based band started out of Bergida’s solo work, releasing the debut album “Walking Down The Streets” back in September with a full band rounded out by Mike Thies – met during his Skidmore days – and Abraham Pollack. “Walking Down The Streets” features a melodic, alt pop sound with thoughtful tinges at times reminiscent of The Smiths, and serene lyrics that detail Bergida’s life on both ends of the country, with stories of Brooklyn cafes and driving up the California coast. The band will perform at the Rock Shop on November 5. - The Deli Magazine

After years of playing with Portland rockers Skidmore Fountain, guitarist and vocalist Randy Bergida broke off to form The Letter Yellow. The Brooklyn-based band started out of Bergida’s solo work, releasing the debut album “Walking Down The Streets” back in September with a full band rounded out by Mike Thies – met during his Skidmore days – and Abraham Pollack. “Walking Down The Streets” features a melodic, alt pop sound with thoughtful tinges at times reminiscent of The Smiths, and serene lyrics that detail Bergida’s life on both ends of the country, with stories of Brooklyn cafes and driving up the California coast. The band will perform at the Rock Shop on November 5. - The Deli Magazine

While most of us have some romantic notions about our beloved New York City, few of us go so far as to document our accolades in lyrical odyssey. Well, looks like you missed your chance. In twelve tracks of throwback rock n' roll sentiment, The Letter Yellow has done exactly that in new record 'Walking Down the Street.' Coming across like a late night reflection with the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop, singer-songwriter Randy Bergida paints a landscape from 'Hope Street' to Harlem and back again. This is a heartfelt love letter to the greatest city in the world, from someone who's made Greenpoint his hometown (and recording studio). Join the band when The Letter Yellow hosts their album release party this Sunday at Glasslands (9.9). - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) - The Deli Magazine by Mike Levine

While most of us have some romantic notions about our beloved New York City, few of us go so far as to document our accolades in lyrical odyssey. Well, looks like you missed your chance. In twelve tracks of throwback rock n' roll sentiment, The Letter Yellow has done exactly that in new record 'Walking Down the Street.' Coming across like a late night reflection with the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop, singer-songwriter Randy Bergida paints a landscape from 'Hope Street' to Harlem and back again. This is a heartfelt love letter to the greatest city in the world, from someone who's made Greenpoint his hometown (and recording studio). Join the band when The Letter Yellow hosts their album release party this Sunday at Glasslands (9.9). - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) - The Deli Magazine by Mike Levine

Picture yourself crossing state borders in a station wagon with your lover by your side; cruising along the coast and passing through deserts. A life full of pale watercolor sunsets, pit stops, and wind in your hair. The end destination of this adventure? None other than “the city that never sleeps”, “the Big Apple”, New York City.

The Brooklyn based band, The Letter Yellow’s diverse sound and late 60s psychedelic feel gives you the perfect soundtrack to this adventure, ‘Watercolor Overcast’, the follow up to the soulful record ‘Walking Down The Streets’. We managed to get our hands on this record in its beautiful vinyl form and let the turntable spin as the room was enveloped in raw, blissful music.

‘Watercolor Overcast’ opens up with the cool, psychedelic track “Anytime Of Day”, a tune that has a steady tempo with a soaring instrumental packed chorus. Almost like the beginning credits of a film or in this case the first few hours on the road, it entices you, lures you in to the unexpected with open arms.

As the record progresses, the sounds shift from simple, dreamy melodies (“Road To The Mountain”, “Summer In The City”) to afrobeat infused tracks (“Pain In the World”) to everything in between. The assortment of the tracks makes it to be one fun, unpredictable album; kind of like the endless trip that you’ve found yourself on.

The fact that this album was recorded and produced without ever meeting a computer is extraordinary and causes you to greatly admire and appreciate ‘Watercolor Overcast’ and The Letter Yellow. They went off with hopes to produce their sophomore album on vinyl and came back with a record that is nearly perfect, and one that surely anyone can enjoy.

You can now stream ‘Watercolor Overcast’ on their Bandcamp as well as purchase it on vinyl form to get the overall experience here. - Soft Concrete Magazine

In 2012, NYC's The Letter Yellow released a beautiful album of thoughtful pop tunes with Americana influences, entitled 'Walking Down The Streets." The record married luscious melodies a la "The Smiths with a more melancholic vibe, a quality hard wired in lead singer's Randy Bergida vocals. On June 18 at Cameo, the band will be previewing tracks from their upcoming album 'Watercolor Overcast' which will be exclusively available on vinyl after the show and digitally later in the summer. Check out below "Out in the Streets" from their debut album.

We added this song to The Deli's playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists - check it out! - The Deli Magazine

Do you like the idea of Vampire Weekend but find the real thing impossibly insipid? If so, the Letter Yellow are for you. Frontman/guitarist Randy Bergida writes lithely dancing, catchy major-key tunes anchored by the rhythm section of bassist Abe Pollack and drummer Mike Thies. They’re playing the album release show for their new one, Watercolor Overcast at the Cameo Gallery tonight, June 18 at 10 PM; cover is $8.

Pollack’s trebly bass plays an Afrobeat groove underneath Bergida’s balmy but tensely anticipatory vocals on the opening track, Anytime of Day, a lush, dynamically shifting, artfully orchestrated anthem. Road to the Mountain has a loping Afropop groove with an unselfconsciously joyous flute flourish on the turnaround, hitched to a gospel-inspired vamp. Summer in the City isn’t the 60s pop hit but an enigmatically sunny, soul-splashed, strummy original that in another era would have been a monster radio hit.

Pain in the World blends an edgy minor bossa groove and biting roots reggae lyricism over an echoey minor-key melody with hints of that tune that every busker from Sydney to South Carolina knows. The album’s strongest track, The Light We Shed sets pulsar guitar multitracks to a steady marching beat, echoey jangle giving way to clang and resonance. Slow Down works a slowly swaying, hypnotically summery soul vamp lit up with some sparkly keygboard flourishes.

Cold Cold Night builds a fiery, galloping nocturnal ambience, far from the wintriness the title suggests. Likewise, the soul strut Downtown has a nighttime vibe, with a long, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking-style latin psychedelic outro.

Drifter shifts toward Americana, while the final track, Can I Get It Girl goes in a more straightforward hard-funk direction, with more than a hint that it’s the style of music where the band got their start. Maybe the coolest thing about the album is that it’s available on vinyl: if the band remembers to bring a box of records to their shows, it’s a sure bet that they’ll sell out. So far, it hasn’t hit Bandcamp or the usual sites, but the band’s previous output is streaming at their audio page. - New York Music Daily