By Phil Scarisbrick

Former Pinegrove member, Nick Levine, has announced their first solo project under the pseudonym, Jodi – and preceding the arrival of the debut album, we’re given a taste of what to expect through the ‘queer folk’ of Go Slowly.

Acoustic strums, spacious bass and laidback drums provide a constant throughout, with stabbing piano notes and a mix of electric and slide guitar lifting the choruses to create a dynamic that is hypnotically engaging. Levine’s voice is reminiscent of Phil Elverum, with similar levels of emotional pathos projected on every syllable. The lackadaisical, almost laconic verses are replaced by a chorus that feels like Levine is pleading – ‘can go slowly’. This imploration feels like it could be introspection, but could quite easily be aimed at another.

Described as a ‘driving song’, it easy to see how this could be a catalogue of the kind of journey where you get from A to B with little memory of how you got there. You switch to some kind of inner autopilot, travelling over the same roads you’ve covered a million times, while your mind wanders and focusses on other more emotionally pressing matters. With the ability to immediately transport you into their world, Go Slowly does everything a first single should, and that is a very exciting precedent indeed.

Debut album, Blue Heron, arrives on 16^th July through Sooper Records.

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