Nick Principe, AKA Port St. Willow, caught my attention a while back with his EP ’Even // Wasteland’. A multi-intrusmentalist, Principe creates vivid soundscapes complete with a beautiful falsetto. I really don’t want to over-do this but growing up he spent a lot of time playing and recording with Peter Silberman (of The Antlers) and I think the parallels between their work is somethign special. I really like the idea that two men worked together from a young age (although I confess I have no idea how young, I’m going by the PR blurb) and developed style that they have since mastered. Obviously both have different methods (and therefore sounds) and each is very much his own artist which makes it all the more noteworthy. I in no way intend to pigeon-hole Principe, in fact quite the opposite. The way in which he has stayed true to what is obviously the type of music he excels at is admirable and the link to Silberman is an interesting (and heartwarming, in a way) tale of two talented friends who are now receiving acclaim.
’Holiday’ is the new LP from Port St. Willow and continues everything that was so so good about his previous work. Each tracks blends into the next conveying an almost loop-like sense of continuity, the feeling that you could put the album on repeat and let it cycle around and around. Again his vocals are earnest against the electronic sounds and has no problem raising to the occassion when the drums kick in and the tempo is lifted. As he suggests himself, I’d say this would sound even better looking out of a train window or half asleep on an overnight flight. The sort of record which takes you to a different place or brings some sense of meaning to the place in which you are in. The very same effect that I got from Silberman’s Hospice. I would love to see how the songs take shape when performed live since there was a very real difference between Hospice on record and in a show. I wonder if he sticks to the ambient style or leans towards rock songs a bit more? Either way I bet it would be a real spectacle in the right environment.
Holiday is out now. It can be streamed from his Bandcamp page or downloaded for a meagre $7. I can’t recommend it highly enough.