There’s a very specific vibe that radiates from Golden Vessel’s work. It’s casual, dreamy and precise; it’s effortless, but in the most intricate way. Today is the day that Golden Vessel’s third album, ‘everythingeverydayeverything’ is unleashed into the world. Some musicians like to make it very obvious that their music has evolved with each new album they release. They tinker with their melodies and production style until they almost sound like a completely different band. Others stay devoted to their signature sound and appear to not have evolved at all. Golden Vessel doesn’t sit in either of these camps.
Golden Vessel is an artist who knows that you don’t need to change things completely to show growth. It’s the subtle tweaks and the slightly unexpected tones added into a melody that really show growth, experimentation, and a willingness to try something new.
‘everythingeverydyeverything’ sounds just like a classic Golden Vessel album, but at the same time, it sounds like something completely new.
Usually, when you hear. Golden Vessel track, there’s. bit of an introduction. There are a few bars that set the mood before you’re drawn in further by some magical vocals. This doesn’t happen on the album’s opening track ‘funny’. Instead, we immediately launch into the track as delicate chimes sway above gentle atmospherics. Soft guitars lift what almost feels like a fog of atmospherics, clearing the way for sharper notes and more vibrant percussion. I’m. sucker for a song that slowly builds like a sunrise and to me, ‘funny’ feels like the moment where you’re sitting on the beach, by yourself, with a mug of coffee in your hand and you’re watching the most vibrant orange sun rise over the water. A beautiful start, right?!
The transition between ‘funny’ and ‘next try’ is seamless. Golden Vessel’s vocals really stand out here, as the guitars kind of frame them and lift them up. The harmonies are gorgeous and make the track sound incredibly dreamy, but also innocent. There’s a really sweet optimism to the lyrics and the hollow percussion that appears in the second verse really gives the track such wonderful texture and depth. There’s a lightness to ‘next try’, but also also a hint of sombreness. This is one of Golden Vessel’s many strengths though, balancing two contrasting tones to create a vibe that’s so unique to him. This is a track I found myself humming for days after first listening to it.
A deep beat and heavier guitar melody gives ‘spinning’ a bit more of a darker, slightly haunting tone. Bird samples help to lift the mood ever so slightly, but ‘spinning’ really just feels like it’s got a heft to it that the other tracks on ‘everythingeverydyeverything’ haven’t embraced so far. This is the song you listen to when you’re walking home at night, after a big day. You’re a bit tired and quiet, but you’re not sad. You’re just reflecting on your day and recognising how you experienced it. It’s a song that encourages you to think a little. It gives you the space to really just feel things, which is a very rare thing to experience when listening to music with lyrics.
Over the years, Golden Vessel has created a lovely little crew of collaborators that regularly pop up in his projects, not unlike film director Wes Anderson. On ‘pockets full of rocks’ we have Mallrat and Emerson Leif both contributing vocals and it honestly feels like three friends have come together for a fun afternoon of creativity. The delicate guitar licks that are becoming the signature of ‘everythingeverydyeverything’ open the track as Mallrat sings. Emerson Leif takes over during the chorus and the pair of them bring such a playfulness to the track, it might not have been intentional, but with the softer samples, heavy beat and warm synths, this track just feels like a warm, welcoming hug from a friend. It’s familiar and you can’t help but sway along. The bass on this track also really adds a gentle groove to things the just is really the cherry on top of the cake. It’s bliss!
‘eee’ features prominent piano tones and echoing vocals from two other frequent collaborators, rei so la and Abraham Tilbury. The beat, piano tones and upbeat drums give this track a bit more energy, and although it still feels dreamy, the vibe of ‘eee’ makes you feel more wide-eyed. This song feels like the hustle and bustle of a cityscape, but through the lens of someone who sees regular life in a more magical way.
After ‘eee’, ‘harsh yellow’ brings us a brief interlude full of birdsong, acoustic guitars and sharp synths that slice through humming atmospherics. This is very different for Golden Vessel and acts almost like a signal showing that we’re about to launch into more experimental territory.
Really deep, twangy guitars open ‘sun+tide’ song that really embraces the beauty in the mundane. The beat is perky, but not so perky that you want to get up and dance, just perky enough that it makes you smile as the guitars glide over warped synths, light harmonies and buzzing atmospherics. Warped synths carry the vibe of the song into stranger territory, but it still feels comfortable. It’s like you’re dipping your toes into a new headspace but haven’t fully decided to dive in just yet.
This is a perfect example of how Golden Vessel presents his growth as a musician. ‘sun+tide’ is quite different from every other song Golden Vessel has released before, and has some very strong warped elements, but it still feels like a true Golden Vessel song. His essence is still there within it – it’s so wonderful to hear.
Dreamy atmospherics, slightly digitised tones and a hard beat open ‘quick’. Akurei, another regular collaborator, provides some fast-paced vocals to a track that feels like it almost belongs in The Matrix, but a slower, more contained version of The Matrix. Although the track has a smooth melody that flows incredibly well, there are some slight tweaks that make it feel kind of glitchy, without having any actual glitch samples in the melody.
The vocals have been brought up a lot higher and although the tempo isn’t incredibly fast, it still feels like it’s moving quickly, like a flea jumping from one place to another. ‘quick’ is a track that’s full of juxtaposition. Its quick, while still being slow; it feels natural and refreshing, whilst also feeling like white noise from a broken TV. It’s beautiful, really.
On ‘drugstore’, muffled samples of voicemails echo beneath raw guitars, before an almost haunting chorus of children emerge from beneath the samples. The chorus carries us over into the track before The Nicholas’ vocals come in and bring with them an open and rounded feeling. A crunchy beat follows The Nicholas’ vocals and muffled vocals from Golden Vessel himself add an almost eerie element to the melody. There’s a lot of texture on ‘drugstore’ and a bit of grit. Again, here’s a song that feels like it’s so far removed from what Golden Vessel usually produces, but at its core, it’s still very true to him.
As ‘so far’ opens, you become encased in rounded synths, birdsong, and sliding atmospherics with twinkling tones. This is the dreamiest song on ‘everythingeverydayeverything’ by far; it’s so cinematic and beautiful. The opening is a bit longer than the other tracks on the album, but perfectly sets the almost nostalgic tone, before FELIVAND’s vocals ease in. This is the song to daydream to. This is the song to completely encase yourself in when you want to just shut out the world and think of pastel skies with the fluffiest of clouds, and a chorus that echoes across the melody like an echo you’ve shouted into an empty cave.
We end ‘everythingeverydayeverything’ with ‘trash/in each & every way’, featuring vocals from Nick Ward. With grungy guitars, this track very quickly shows off its grit, as the drums add energy to the melody and Nick Ward’s light vocals warm everything up just enough so that the track doesn’t become too dark. This is a track that feels like it’s on the move, as if you’re driving, running, or gliding somewhere at dusk and “don’t stop” as a repeated lyric, really drives this idea home. A bouncing beat appears about two minutes in and really adds extra oomph to the track, alongside strong piano tones. ‘trash/in each & every way has a weight to it and a sombre vibe, but it still flows effortlessly, again showing juxtaposition in a similar way Golden Vessel did with ‘quick’.
‘everythingeverydayeverything’ is a really incredible album. In just 11 songs, Golden Vessel is able to show us where he’s been and where he’s going, with wide-eyed optimism and dreamy contemplation. Golden Vessel’s work is always identifiable. Even when he’s just helped produce a track with a collaborator or added the tiniest of tweaks to a friend’s melody, you know his presence is there. On ‘everythingeverydayeverything’ though, we not only get to listen to his signature sound, but we also get to go on a journey with him as he tries new things, experiments with new sounds and develops as an artist. ‘everythingeverydayeverything’ allows you to go on a musical journey with Golden Vessel and grow with him. He lets you into his world and what an enchanting world it is.
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Golden Vessel is also taking the album on the road this August for a few shows in Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney – check the dates below then get your tickets here
out now via: sumoclic
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