Album title:
In Camera
Artist:
Arthur & Yu
Label:
Hardly Art
Comprised of Seattle residents Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott, with a name forged from their respective childhood nicknames, Arthur & Yu are the premiere act signed to SubPop founder Jonathan Poneman's new label, and have made a lo-fi folk gem of a record steeped in the sounds of a bygone era: namely, the late 60s and early 70s. Understatement is very much the name of the game here, with lightly chiming guitars leading a procession of lightly shaken tambourines, lightly tinkled xylophones, lightly kicked bass drums, and lightly... well, you get the idea. Olsen's barroom croon is complemented nicely by Westcott's sweet and airy Nancy Sinatra impersonation - reaching a stylistic peak on the shimmering Afterglow - and although some songs slowly build to swirling climaxes, all are crafted with the utmost care and sophistication. With sepia-tinged nostalgia and hazy childhood memories at its core, In Camera would act as a perfect accompaniment to long and lazy summer evenings, were we to actually get any round these parts. Anyhow, for the moment, let's just pray that none of this charming record ends up being tainted by an appearance on one of those sickly, manipulative mobile phone ads in the near future. Here's hoping. [Barry Jackson]