Ecstatic Sunshine: Yesterday's Work

Ecstatic Sunshine: Yesterday's Work | |
| Label: | Hoss |
| Format: | Album |
| Media: | CD |
| Release Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://www.hossrecords.com |
| Genre: | Indie Rock |
More info on local actEcstatic Sunshine | |
Someone get Matt Papich an acoustic guitar and a good-sounding room. It's a bizarre thing listening to Yesterday's Work, which is credited to him only, with production from Joe Williams, of the dance-pop project White Williams. It's a good, maybe great record but, while there's probably nothing on it that isn't electronic or electronically manipulated, it feels like the disc could reach very similar ends of color and mood with that guitar and acoustics that breathe.
First exception to the above and general Ecstatic Sunshine novelty: "Faceplant." It's basically an all-rhythm track that doesn't use any actual percussion, just an occasional bass groove, a guitar that clicks more than sings, some deep-space sounds, and what sounds like electronic sea shells. A fun, whimsical, and very short ride. But soon enough, there's "Dunk"'s staccato guitar melodies that, despite some video-game sounds and countermelody, feels like noodling. Not noodling in a necessarily bad sense, but wandering and even pastoral sounding. If the Ecstatic Sunshine of yore was hot and radiant, then the light here is the soft sun of a fall day. Sounds are electronically clipped and layered but, really, this feels like a laptop away from being an American primitive album.