In the Hollows

Nat Baldwin’s work as bassist for The Dirty Projectors and as a contributor to recordings by Department of Eagles, Vampire Weekend, and other indie groups looking for a chamber pop sound has helped him focus his solo material. Baldwin’s avant-garde interests have been channeled into accessible songs that make use of his unusual vocal style (sometimes compared to Antony Hegarty's). The quick sawing of a cello teases the vocal on “Half My Life” but provides a thrilling rhythm section on the phenomenal “Knockout,” where tension is palpable as the melody keeps things rolling along. The title track pulls off a tense, quickly paced ballet of sound and voice. “The End of the Night” slows things to a note-for-note battle between instrument and vocal tracks; it expands and revokes harmonies and double-tracked vocals as needed. Bowed bass, a string trio, and occasional percussion from drummer Otto Hauser (Espers) often fills the room more efficiently than seems possible. “Cosmos Pose,” “Bored to Death,” and “A Good Way to Die” do much with little.