UK-based singer-songwriter Joseph Hughes, best known as The Birthday Letters, releases the alt-indie single "Indicator Species". Taken from his sophomore album Yearning for Vitalists, the track is an acoustic-driven single that loops melodic tones to create an eye-opening, thought-provoking cut.
Easily suited to indie film soundtracks or quirky short films, The Birthday Letters' vocals are distinctively captivating. Drawing on his influences of Conor Oberst and Sufjan Stevens, the album the track is taken from takes its inspiration from the wonder of our planet and begins to question everything along the way. While "Indicator Species" creates an ethereally soothing backdrop, its aesthetic lies within a soft minimalistic nature that produces an exquisite soundscape.
"That song is really me laughing at my own stupidity" Hughes says. It's tracks such as "Indicator Species" that "deal with the tension of us being these incredibly flawed animals in a system that treats us like rational beings, which we certainly are not."
"Indicator Species" is taken from their new album Yearning for Vitalists. Of the album, he says: "In a world where rationalism is king, I think there is space within the culture for mystery and that is what the album title is essentially about. I think the world is yearning for a little more mystery. I want my music to be a space where I can sing about strange ideas. There is so much music out there that deals with exactly the same lyrical territory, so I’m always keen to try something new."
Yearning For Vitalists is out now.
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