If you’ve been frequenting JOVM over the past couple of months you may be familiar with Pacific Northwest-based multi-instrumentalist, electronic music artist and producer Grant Eadie and his solo recording project Manatee Commune; in fact, you may even recall that Eadie has received both regional and national attention for a carefully and organically molded sound in which he pairs natural overtones extracted from various field recordings and other sources, live instrumentation and arrangements and slick, incredibly nuanced, contemporary production. Eadie’s latest EP Thistle was recorded earlier this year and from the EP’s first two singles “Clay,” and “What We’ve Got,” the EP will further cement Eadie’s reputation for an infectious yet breezy production style. “Clay” paired twinkling and chiming percussion, a looped flute sample, layers of shimmering synths and swirling electronics with Marina Price’s flirtatious and sultry vocals in a bouncy and coquettish song that reminded me of a slightly more dance floor friendly version of Sylvan Esso. “What We’ve Got” had Eadie pairing a distorted vocal sample with choppy cascades of synths, twinkling and fluttering electronics, handclaps, enormous tweeter and woofer rocking beats and an infectiously upbeat swagger.
Thistle‘s latest single “The Garden Song” may arguably be the EP’s most lush song as twinkling and chiming percussion are paired with stuttering beats, handclaps, stuttering synth stabs with Moorea Massa’s sultry R&B vocal stylings in a swooning song that evokes the ebullient joy, awkwardness and pangs of love — and that initial moment when you realize that you’re hopelessly and madly in love and you’re both elated and frightened over what it really means for you. Interestingly, I think this particular single is the most radio-friendly song as it leans heavily towards contemporary pop, complete with a breezy and infectious hook.
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