Violin virtuoso and of Montreal associate Kishi Bashi will release his new album, Lighght, on May 13th via Joyful Noise Recordings. The follow-up to 2012’s 151a takes its name from the 1965 one-word poem by Aram Saroyan and continues Bashi’s exploration of experimental pop.
“The poem’s blatant assault on literary convention and classical form was attractive to me,” he commented in a press release. “Though I have studied classical composition, I prefer to take an unconventional path when it comes to creating and thinking about music.”
Kishi Bashi has also unveiled the album’s lead single, “Philosophize In It! Chemicalize With It!”. An “early version” of the song surfaced last fall, but appears, here, in its final, uber-exclamatory form. Bubbly and playful from start to finish, it sounds like a sumptuous fusion of The Shins (are we sure that’s not James Mercer singing?) and Vampire Weekend.
Listen in below:
Lighght Tracklist:
01. Debut – Impromptu
02. Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It!
03. The Ballad of Mr. Steak
04. Carry on Phenomenon
05. Bittersweet Genesis for Him AND Her
06. Impromptu No. 1
07. Q&A
08. One Upon a Lucid Dream (In Afrikaans)
09. Hahaha Pt. 1
10. Hahaha Pt. 2
11. In Fantasia
