Matt Kivel Double Exposure

I have a certain expectation of Olde English Spelling Bee releases and it looks like that expectation is gonna need adjustment as OESB isn’t the label it once was. This is no reflection on the quality of Matt Kivel’s work of course (he’s an excellent singer/songwriter) but I was hoping for something a little crazier. Anyway, who cares about my expectations right?

Matt Kivel (formerly of garage rock band Gap Dream) reinvents himself on ‘Double Exposure’ as a sort of Nick Drake type folky lad with a stripped back collection of predominantly lightly strummed folk songs. Occasional synth, electric guitars and the odd beat or two colour these tracks giving them a Mount Eerie/Microphones vibe from time to time but also bring to mind subtler moments of the Captured Tracks/Underwater Peoples back catalogue. What really keeps it all together is Kivel’s Tim Rutili (Califone) meets Crosby, Stills and Nash vocal delivery. He’s got right nice voice on him has this kid.