Beating Back the Claws of the Cold

Seattle’s Pica Beats deliver a fresh take on the current lo-fi ethos, reaching for unusual musical instrumentation and bravely using vocals as an added instrumental layer. Central Pica Beats member Ryan Barrett (previously a solo artist) delivers his folk-based tunes in a delicate, poetic, warble wrapped in the familiar yet exotic tones and thrums of oboe and sitar, acoustic guitars and simple snare drum. Surprises abound: The instrumental, “Martine, As Heavy Lifter” is dotted with staccato bits of electronic static, juxtaposed against the sinewy grace of Eastern rhythms; after a genteel, meandering opening rife with lovely lyrics, the track “Summer Cutting Kale” layers on fuzzy organ and clattering, martial percussion bits, closing with a sweet chorus. Fluttery, breezy background cooing carries the lightweight title track, while an eerie vapor of backing vocals waft in and out of the whimsical “Cognac & Rum.” Barrett’s literate sensibility helps these tracks glitter from a lyrical standpoint: “Where’d you get that laugh? You know it cuts me right in half;” “I am the tension, you are the tightrope;” “All the world of troubles are muffled / just a few minutes more, they’ll suffocate.” Fans of Colin Meloy, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Devendra Banhart: take note of this beautiful bauble!