Sometimes it’s a scary affair when an artist attempts to go solo, but in the case of Arthur & Yu‘s Grant Olsen, it’s a gift. Under the moniker Gold Leaves, the Seattle-based songwriter has struck out on his own, but hasn’t strayed too far from his sonic roots. The title track from his debut, The Ornament, gives you all the warm and fuzzies of an introspective Jeff Tweedy tune and wraps it inside the shimmering brilliance of a rolling Hammond organ melody and a simple drumbeat. A dash of tambourine is thrown in just to give it that feeling of mid-60s flair that seems to be a staple of the sound of the Pacific Northwest as of late. Gold Leaves has been properly compared to Fleet Foxes (I’d be lying if the beat didn’t remind me of “White Winter Hymnal” with the drums higher up in the mix), and if this track is any indication of the direction Olsen is heading, then branching out solo may mean he’ll soon be in a forest of fans. CMM
Gold Leaves – The Ornament
More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Gold Leaves
Year: 2011
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