An orchestral-touched throwback pop charmer, “Down The West Coast” is the beautiful new single from Moon Construction Kit, the psychedelic-pop project of Swiss producer Olivier Cornu. The track embraces vintage woodwinds and shimmering synths in creating a nostalgic piece filled with choir arrangements and stunning baroque charm.
Cornu notes wanting to “pay homage to that specific ’67–’71 Beach Boys era—the kind of music that feels like a sun-drenched, baroque journey.” He continues: “We combined 50s-inspired woodwinds with an orchestral ‘Chamber-Pop’ structure to create a sound that is as much about the arrangement as it is about the mood.”
A gorgeous combination of heartfelt strings and ruminating piano leads into an introspective vocal calmness. “I came down to see a photograph,” Cornu’s vocals shine, arriving into a lovely array of harmonizing as the “where do I go from here?” question hits. An ensuing piano-forward progression conjures those Beach Boys comparisons as well, certainly evident in the vocal harmonies, and also the chamber-pop whimsy of Field Music. The swooning, wordless vocal entrancement into the two-minute mark is especially riveting, culminating in the “voice is calling” cathartic allure and string-laden re-emergence.
A subsequent “there’s no one to pull me down” vocal outpouring furthers the blissfully magnetic and nostalgic pop production. There’s an anthemic, glowing charm to the repetition of these swirling vocal layers and vintage-friendly instrumentation, entirely succeeding — as intended — in capturing that specific Beach Boys era and wonderful chamber-pop likenesses in general.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
