Art Contest – Two Songs (2017)

The strongest indicator for what Two Songs has in store is in it’s opening moments, as a sort of free-associative drumroll meanders through different tones before falling off into an electronic hum. Three short tracks of varied phrasing and call-response between fuzzy guitar and soft, roomy drums pass before a human voice comes into focus amid an unassuming surf riff. If you know Art Contest’s previous album, Math Major, the dynamics here will be familiar to you:

There will be complex and catchy riffs that will live in your head for days. There will be simple, abstract vocal passages that you’ll find yourself repeating without provocation. You will find new corners of brightness amid inexplicable oddities and space tones. Your misophonia will be aggravated and you will very badly want to skip track 12. But, Two Songs is bigger than it’s predecessor. It grasps at and shakes its own boundaries, itching to be free as it presses its face against the glass. It’s an exploratory piece that probes the nooks of lo-fi for new inspiration and comes away wiser.

There’s also some nice summer jams on here, so dig that.