New York – One part El Perro del Mar, two parts Beach House and seven parts incomparably emotive dream pop, Pure Bathing Culture will win the war for your heart with their penchant for nostalgia and the sense of glory that surrounds their work. Following their debut, self-titled, EP last year on Father-Daughter Records, the group released their first full-length stunner, Moon Tides, in October on Partisan Records.
Pure Bathing Culture is guitarist Daniel Hindman and keyboardist Sarah Versprille. Both former members of Vetiver, the two separated themselves from the folk rock group in 2011 and migrated westward to Portland Oregon.
Like their EP, Moon Tides offers up sprawling, trance-like tracks steeped in reverie. Versprille sings with a longing that will not be quieted, and Hindman responds with a waterfall of guitar rifts that cascade in gently mastered compositions.
Always unhurried, steady and breathy, the songs on Moon Tides are delivered with a surprising amount of heart for their tempo. There is something desperate about the feel of the album at large, a franticness that ties itself to Versprille’s vocals. She sings, as Hindman plays, with a candidness that is altogether moving. As the album progresses, the tracks have a way of weaving together. Yet an explosion of cathartic chorus, brilliant repetition, always punctures the unassuming transitions.
“Pendulum” is without a doubt the album’s standout track. The opening song, it swings and sways in a lullaby of longing. A slow-burning gem, it is deeply human. Similarly, “Only Lonely Lovers” has a base drum kick that beats along like a crusader for persistence in matters of the heart. “Scotty” is another noteworthy jam. An intimate track that is sensual in all kinds of quiet ways, this may be the new anthem for bedroom pop. Like the album in full, “Scotty” unfolds like a blanket hideout, warm with reverb and layers of resonance.
The greatest strength of Pure Bathing Culture’s latest, the secret to their success past and present, is their unobtrusive talent. We almost don’t realize we love Moon Tides until it lulls us into a pensive place we begin to imagine as our own. Like the seamless soundtrack to your daydreams, Pure Bathing Culture captures the roaring quiet in your head. Perfect to play when watching the scenery pass out the window on a road trip, Moon Tides is sure to draw you into a place of exploration and introspection.
As was the case with the duo’s EP, the group chose to work with producer Richard Swift at National Freedom studio in Oregon. They two have cited Swift as a factor in their decision to relocate to the west coast. In one interview, Versprille noted that a lack of space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, was not entirely conducive to their creative process. The transition is worthy of note, as spatial location lends itself heavily to the group’s inspiration. Their new surroundings seems to have unlocked an impressive amount of personal and artistic freedom for Pure Bathing Culture, a phenomenon that clearly reveals itself in the tone and topics of Moon Tides.
Equipped with the space they needed to breath new life into their music, we can expect a great deal more to come from Pure Bathing Culture. Coming off a US tour that kick started overseas, the duo is still hard at work. The well advised will keep a keen eye out for more tour dates, wherever home may be.
Liz Rowley
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