There's nothing arrid about the sound or scene of “Safari Jack”, the lead single from Rivergazer's upcoming debut album, Random Nostalgia. Imagine a drift wood dam opening up as it succumbs to rushing water, its saturated branches reflect a rainbow of spring flowers as they tumble down stream. It's that somehow familiar but unplaceable photographic memory that “Safari Jack” conjures. The song itself sounds familiar yet refreshing. Maybe it’s the opening’s driving piano that gives me a The Morning Benders/Pop ETC. by way of Wilco vibe. But the refrain's guitar and vocal harmonies float together in a way that says “Okay yeah—childhood friend of Aaron Maine. Makes sense.”
Not that Farrant doesn’t depart from the songwriting style of Maine, but he attributes Rivergazer’s formation to friends—for and with them—and he’s certainly not want for musically powerful and/or influential ones. For Nostalgia, Farrant tapped multi-instrumentalist bud Kolson Pickard and producer Hunter Davidsohn to lush out his sound. Besides playing guitar in Porches., Farrant released three demos over the past two years. The somewhat incongruous snippets (see: voice memos) show a disjointed chronology of Farrant’s journey from lo fi-as-fuck to big conceptual songwriting. Many of the releases feature Pickard and Maine along with other friends. It’s nice to have friends in likeminded places. Judging by this track, Rivergazer’s debut LP will be more polished than most. And I’m sure Farrant’s friends will be just as thankful for it as he is.
Stream “Safari Jack” below. Random Nostalgia comes out via Father/Daughter Records on August 12.
