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Nik Freitas
Day & Dark
Poppy Peak, 2018
9/10
A renaissance man and former Thrasher photographer from the Los Angeles area, Nik Freitas recorded and pretty much played everything on this 7th album. Some of us have already heard Freitas from his time in Conor Oberst's Mystic Valley Band, but here we're going to explore a whole new dimension of his varied talents.
An extremely adventurous version of folk with vivid displays of pop and very potent, relevant wordplay about the status quo (songs like “What A Mess” are indication of where he's coming from politically), whether he's forcefully strumming an acoustic guitar or building lush atmospheres with pianos and horns, Freitas, along with backing vocals from members of Azure Ray and Springtime Carnivore, paint a colorful and all consuming canvas of lovely, warm, timeless sounds. Though the first couple tracks produce mild interest, by the end you'll be mulling over 'record of the year' positioning.
Travels well with: