After the amiable lo-fi debut If I Am Only My Thoughts, Loving makes a self-proclaimed “sonic leap” on sophomore stunner Any Light. Of course, this seamless transition to the studio is a credit to the Canadian duo’s charmingly unwavering formula. With delayed vocals that don’t kick in until nearly two minutes, the gentle acoustic strum of the title track sets the perfect tone for this remarkably intimate collection of songs. Flanked with a through line of dreamy interwoven guitars and spare percussion, each tender ballad seems exquisitely paired with a creative sonic flourishment (ranging from full string arrangements and organ to plenty of other studio contributions). This is best exemplified on Any Light‘s centerpiece “On My Way To You”, the lush musical backdrop providing an open canvas for vocalist Jesse Henderson’s hushed vocals, lazily radiating like a loose campfire sing along.
Recalling the free-flowing spirit of psych-tinged folk projects like Skygreen Leopards, the record equally evokes the pop songwriting sensibilities of the likes of Harry Nilsson. Here, the healthy doses of repetition or minimalism in no way impede the momentum of the ten tracks, but rather works as a structure for innovation. While you might expect more instrumental vignettes than the lone piece “The Light In You”, the album is a poetic and lyrical treasure. “You came close to the edge as you reached for the door/The medicine was bitter like nothing you’d tasted before”, Henderson sings on the alluring lead single “Medicine”. A microcosm of this melding of romanticism and humor, the accompanying video flashes between scenic beauty shot on film and the playful, hand painted animated loops of John Andrews. Oozing with radiating charm, the intricacies of Any Light suck you in with a cozy grip, the music a safeguard or introspective signifier for brighter horizons. | m neeley
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