Debut EP from upstate New York ‘Atmospheric folk duo,’ Cut Chord.  Demolition Music is a satisfying collection of intimate, pared-back songs that showcase the duo’s explorations of folk, drone, psychedelia and singer-songwriter traditions.

EXPLORES MANY GENRES – BELONGS TO NONE

Hailing from the Hudson Valley region of upstate New York, Cut Chord are: Kristen Lembo (vocals, synth and lyrics) and Conor Klein (guitar, bass and percussion).  They describe themselves as an “…Atmospheric folk duo” and their music explores the outer edges of folk, drone, psychedelia and singer-songwriter traditions – without belonging neatly to any of them.

Cut Chord first got together in Brooklyn, New York, in 2021.Demolition Music is their first recorded output.

A soft, gentle guitar figure provides the accompaniment to Kristen’s vivid vocals for the EP’s opening track, Lo-fi Dissent.  And that’s a pattern that is followed throughout the collection.  Synth is used sparingly and subtly and it creates just the right amount of atmosphere – it’s “…slow and hypnotic, deep and narcotic,” as Kristen’s lyrics so appropriately put it.

A COMBINATION OF STRENGTH, VULNERABILITY AND HEARTBREAK

Kristen’s vocals are known for the way that she manages to combine strength, vulnerability and heartbreak within her tones and that’s a talent that comes over clearly in Sailing Into the Void.  And the guitar/synth backing to her vocals exhibits a similar blend of subtlety and strength.

Conor’s guitars are used sparingly but highly effectively as Kristen delivers the contemplative, observational lyrics to Unfurling, the album’s centrepiece track.  The double-tracked vocals add a sense of dreamy psychedelia, to which the listener cannot help but be carried along.

OASIS OF CALM

Ponderous electric guitar accompanies the folky, intimate Rip Chord.  Conor and Kristen combine their voices in an off-key way that is surprisingly alluring, whilst that guitar figure drives relentlessly onward.

“Goodbye undone things; solitary dreams,” sings Kristen as she introduces Undone Things, the EP’s closing track.  And, in the intimacy of her voice, those words offer an unconventional reassurance.  Conor plays a nice bassline that adds colour to his strums of guitar – and the result is a beautiful oasis of calm.  It’s the album’s most accessible track and a melodic way to end an intriguing collection of songs.

Watch Cut Chord perform Sailing Into the Void – a track from the album – below:

Cut Chord: Bandcamp

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