Chances are you’ve heard one of Nick Bassett’s projects at some point in the past couple years. The man’s musical tentacles seem to extend across the entire Nor Cal alternative scene; he’s currently a member of Whirr, Nothing and Death of Lovers, and a former member of post-genre argument-starters Deafheaven. Now he’s got a new project called Camera Shy with Whirr bandmate Alexandra Morte, and it’s quite the change of pace. Whereas Bassett’s other projects can fall into the shoegaze or post-punk categories (or whatever the hell Deafheaven is), Camera Shy is pure acoustic pop.
The duo’s new single from their upcoming EP Jack-O-Lantern, “Come Around”, is a jazzed-out pop song that highlights Morte’s voice. It’s really the first time that Morte’s vocals can be heard over guitar—Whirr’s barrage of noise tends to drown out certain qualities—and she’s got a great sense of melody and harmony. At times, “Come Around” seems so upbeat as to reach silliness, but it’s clear that Bassett and Morte are perfectly aware of the saccharine cheeseball nature of their music.
Head over to Brooklyn Vegan to stream “Come Around”, or check it out below. Jack-O-Lantern is out on June 25 via Run For Cover Records.
