Indie folk band Levek is channeling its inner Simon and Garfunkel with its newest album, Look A Little Closer, which technically comes out on the 25th but is currently debuting on Hype Machine.
I don’t make that Simon and Garfunkel reference lightly, as they’re one of my favorite duos in basically all of pop culture. Levek deserves the comparison because of their lilting harmonies, quiet echoes, and cascading acoustic melodies. Give just one listen to “Canterbury Bell,” and you’ll catch my drift.
Although the S&G influences are pretty evident, Levek also mixes in some funkier sounds on tracks like “Muscat Mingle” and “Can’t Buy This Love,” which are perfect chill songs to counter the introspective mood of the rest of the album. On “Solemn Feeling Forever Healing,” Levek introduces some cool vibe riffs that remind me a bit of Air. “French Lessons” rounds off the eclectic mix with instrumental experimentation that is simply pleasing to the ear.
Best track is most definitely “Girl in the Fog,” which is full-fledged S&G with a little twinge of Fleet Foxes, making for an eerie but wonderful mix of old and new. It has a mysterious tranquility that gives it the quality of a song off of a 1970s movie soundtrack.
Watch out for Levek; they’ve got big things ahead.
