A new single from Wisconsin-based artist Matt Monsoor, “Pareidolia” weaves lingering acoustics, touches of piano, and string-laden elegance for an entrancing folk sound. Inspired by both a Bathtub Cig song and the term “pareidolia,” which the artist first heard on NPR, the effort marks the second song from three-track EP Better Things, releasing on cassette.
A title-touting refrain finds striking, ghostly accompaniment in eerie piano stylings and a subtle backing textural engrossment. It’s an aptly involved production, with the track title itself referring to the phenomena of perceiving images/faces in random objects. “Could be a king or a queen, is it a busy bee?” lyrics emphasize that state of blurred lines, when interpreting one’s own place and time. “Pareidolia” is a thorough success from Monsoor, who first caught our ears with the track “Galloway” in 2021.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
