COSMIC JAZZINESS pulses through Portland art-pop duo Sheersâ self-titled debut. Frontwoman Lily Breshears is known for her work with Big Haunt and Haley Heynderickx, but this EP marks her bold solo debut. Its four tracks hang in an airtight stillness where each small sound is a delicate but tremendous starburst.
Opener âIn Caseâ finds Breshears commanding this space, her deep vocals set against a cascading piano line that seems to tumble and crash in Grant Pieceâs jazz percussion. âDepthâ sounds like a steady march into the sonic underworld, each ominous synth tone another step down the staircase. The minimalist instrumentation of âTake Your Timeâ gives Breshearsâ voice room, growing throughout the song like slow-creeping vines. And closing track âKristofferâ is the recordâs standoutâan unconventional symphony of distorted and looped vocals, stormy piano melodies, and layered beats, all tethered down by weighty synth and the haunting repetitions, âI know youâre better/Oh, Kristoffer.â
These four tracks sound like classical compositions that have been warped and weathered by space-age production. Thatâs Breshearsâ greatest strength as a musicianâmarrying old and new sounds seamlessly. Sheers is classically influenced pop, but wanders to the furthest outskirts of tradition.