City of Pines - “Salt Creek”
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City of Pines, from Seattle, USA, impress us with the vivid indie rock ballad, “Salt Creek.”
“Salt Creek” is a slow burning, atmospheric anthem of remarkable depth. The song opens and also closes to a hushed, reflective mood built on the caramel tones of electric guitar and lashings of reverb. It gives the feeling that you are standing alone on a beach in Washington State. Subdued yet incredibly dreamy. What is also of note is the production is extremely polished but thankfully it never pushes into the generic commercial realm.
The song builds like a wave to a euphoric radiance lit up by cigarette lighters held aloft above your head. Upbeat drumming, rousing, sweeping strings punctuate this section creating an impeccable sense of grandeur.
The showstopping, heartfelt vocal is exceptionally soulful throughout. For most of the song it stays in an intimate, rich timbre. Over the climactic build the lead vocal displays incredible range soaring to powerful falsetto highs. With subtle harmonies the performance is nothing short of spellbinding, navigating us through the feelings of chaos, clarity and freedom.
Beautiful lyrics, gorgeous singing and elegant textural layers, “Salt Creek” is a sonically satisfying track that blends vintage sounds with a pop attitude. The track is taken from the EP, Wander, which is out now.