Two Kinds Of Blue - Limited Edition (Coloured Vinyl)

Leave the house party lights behind & slip into the garden shadows. At the back, under the willow you’ll find the more unassuming invitees cross legged on the grass, leaning into Brandon De la Cruz’s lyrically ambiguous, borderline aphonic whispers wafting over his light touch guitar & subtle, sample assembled soundscapes. Alt-folk album of the year? Quite possibly.

• The Slow Movement

Two Kilos of Blue is the fourth album from the Kirikiriroa-based Portland, Oregon ex-pat folk artist Brandon De La Cruz. All tracks on Two Kilos Of Blue may be considered a reflection of De La Cruz’ tenure as a staffer at Mississippi Records while living in Portland, OR. Samples of folk and country blues recordings from the early 20th century issued by Mississippi are used by the artist to subtly layer and build his arrangements.

The record brings together songs written over a 10-year period, linked thematically by love, loss and possession. Painstakingly recorded and arranged over two years at the artist’s studio in Kirikiriroa, each track is a balancing act of consideration and spontaneity. Simultaneous, unfolding layers of voices, samples and guitars reveal a narrative steeped in longing and mystery. Many of the songs directly invoke emotional and cultural associations with Blue, while others imply it through their atmosphere.

Pressed on a limited blue coloured vinyl.