When we last heard Soft Vision the Austin duo of Kelly Winchester and Bradley Barr were conjuring visions of Willy Loman on the Feel It Coming On 7″ to posit, “great men, will they come again?” While the answer to the question remains to be seen, Soft Vision have returned with an EP that expands upon the sublime synth-pop from the 7″.
Soft Visions write with a mentality that if they put it out into the ether, it is there for the taking. They feel it coming on, and on “Rocking Horse Winner” the duo are there for encouragement to “keep racing on” (nevermind the logistical restrictions of a rocking horse). It begs the question, “is it always just out of reach?” Later, Winchester sings “the moment’s here before it’s gone” on “Summerhouse, Later” and it becomes clear it, this familiar energy that drives us towards greatness, can slip through our fingers like sand. Winchester and Barr keep their vocals dreamy and bold throughout the EP, which colors the record with an omnipotence that reflects the lyrics’ universal truths. It allows Soft Visions to traverse European folklore with a reference to Walpurgisnacht and shrink to the microscopic on “Electrophillia”. Followers of Joseph Campbell are aware that across cultures a new hero is always on the way, so Soft Visions’ prophecy is bound to be fulfilled.
Soft Vision’s self-titled EP is out January 20 on Acoustic Division.
