It’s the perfect time of year for thoughtful, stripped-back music, especially the sort of serene wintery aesthetic that Blake Objartel and Justin Settipan conjure on new single “Where It’s Greener.” The former Yams Club cohorts recently combined forces as Setti and Sloth, setting aside that group’s jazzy indie rock for pensive folk songs that—at least here—echo the beauty of icy forest streams and evergreen-peaked mountains. For a track that centers largely on vocals and acoustic guitar, the sound here is full and wide-ranging. With the help of producer Ezra Anthony, the duo color the song’s rustic backdrop with sweeping strokes of violin, pedal steel, mandolin, and more.
Still, while “Where It’s Greener” evokes the grandeur of the natural world, the portrait it paints is more plaintive, even as it offers a path to hope. Objartel’s lyrics ring with reminders of the monotony and regret that often accompany day-to-day life, but rather than surrendering to ennui, the emphasis is on taking the time to reset and recharge (“Don’t quit / breathe in the new day”). On paper that may seem like trite homespun advice, but sometimes it’s the simplest truths that are the hardest to hear.
Listen below.
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Bandcamp: settiandsloth.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @settiandsloth
SoundCloud: @settiandsloth