Soul-Flavored Indie Pop Catharsis. - The Brook & The Bluff: Pastels

We have covered this Nashville soul-pop band before, and now their debut full-length album First Place is available everywhere. Pastels, their latest single, presents vocal harmonies reminiscent of bands like Rex Orange County and Hippo Campus, with an instinct for sticky grooves and mellow guitar hooks.

What began as a duo between Alec Bolton & Joseph Settine transformed into a crowd-tested live act with the addition of members John Canada & Fred Lankford. The self-titled debut EP from The Brook & The Bluff was widely successful, and charted on Spotify's US and Canada Viral 50 Playlists, as well as selling out shows across the country. Now they are touring the US in support of their excellent new release. The production aesthetic of Pastels puts the focus on Settine's entrancing lead vocal and a dynamic arrangement from the band, as the rhythmic flavor of the arrangement evolves from a quarter-note pulse into a slow-funk ending that feels both cathartic and vital. From the raw colors of indie-pop emerges a soul-flavored kaleidoscope of honest emotion that will have you pressing play over and over again.

This song is featured on our Soul playlist.