Uncivil Rest – the name for creative powerhouse James Cluff – produces music from his basement in Brisbane, Australia. The sounds waves he’s making, however, don’t half cover the distance between.
His debut EP, Ghosts, was released July 20th; the culmination of the music he’s been writing on and off since 2012. The title track, ‘Lurking Ghosts’, features stripped back vocals and a soulful acoustic sound that gives off 70s rock vibes while still reflecting contemporary indie sounds.
Fans of The National and The xx will be sure to enjoy Uncivil Rest, but he is far from directly emulating their sounds. More audible are the acoustic instruments and homemade sounds that feature on the tracks, with only a smattering of dreamy synth instead of it providing a heavy backdrop to Cluff’s outstanding vocals. Tracks do not exclusively tend towards the melancholy, either, and more upbeat offering ‘About Her’ sounds like something Stars or Noah & The Whale might produce on a rainy day.
So curl with with a cuppa and a good book, and dip your toes into some light, beautifully put together acoustic folk.
Debut UP Ghosts is available to stream and buy through Bandcamp now.
