Listening to NPR’s All Songs Considered this past week, guest host Stephen Thompson referred to a song as hammock music, “music that will lay you down and pour you an ice tea.” I think of Telescope Vehicle as a perfectly fitting epitome to this genre. In “My Prayer,” the Portland quintet emanates warmth and nuance. The vocals are modest and soothing, complementing simple strutting guitars. What gives TV a unique sound however is their soft ambient experimentation. In the middle, “My Prayer” drops into a beautiful atmospherics, reminding me (fondly) of a David Lynch montage—sweeping around the curves of Mullholland Drive or staring at the leaves of Twin Peaks. By the end, “My Prayer” is washed in lo-fi ambience and the remnants of folk dwindle off into pleasing pitch distortions.

Download audio file (myprayer.mp3)

Links:
Telescope VehicleSpace

Photo courtesy of TVSpace