Lead single ‘Reward’ comes from 22° Halo, the recording project of Philadelphia-based songwriter and producer Will Kennedy. We’ve followed 22° Halo for a good while, most recently with album Lily of the Valley on Tiny Library Records. An album which “displayed the easy lo-fi nature that Kennedy projects so well,” as we wrote, “small and soft indie pop songs that handle real-life struggles with a shining sense of hope.” Continuing this style, ‘Reward’ makes for the ideal introduction to True Names. Something in its gentle compassion embodies the project’s spirit, Kennedy’s familiar willingness to broach difficulties with empathy and warmth aligning perfectly with the mission set out by Worry Bead Records.

Album art by Sami Martasian

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Now 22° Halo have released one final single before the record comes out at the beginning of November. Titled ‘Orioles at Dusk’, it is another slice of wistful but quietly joyous indie pop. The Orioles of the title is this time not an ornithological reference, but a baseball one. “[The track is] about falling in love with Kate for the first time,” Kennedy explains, “and canvassing outside Baltimore Orioles games over the summer.” The atmosphere captures these feeling perfectly, combining the heart-fluttering buoyancy of new love in the peppy percussion and sparkly guitar and the sweet-sad sunset feeling of twinkling city lights beyond a summer evening ballgame.

Oh man the game won’t be over ’til ten
Baltimore orioles at dusk and I’m in love

Lily of the Valley will be released via Tiny Library Records on 8th November. Pre-order it now from the 22º Halo Bandcamp page.

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