Listen: Salt Cathedral - "Holy Soul" [Premiere]

06 August 2014, 10:45 | Written by Tom Johnson

(Tracks)

(Salt Cathedral)

Given their propensity for crafting wonderfully vivacious and layered pop songs, one could be forgiven for feeling a small sense of apprehension upon learning that “Holy Soul”, the new track from Brooklyn’s Salt Cathedral, is a slow-tempo ballad, however it’s not a concern that will stick around for very long. While the track is undoubtedly a shift into the quieter realms of the band’s psyche, it’s an undoubtedly triumphant exhibition of what makes the Brooklyn trio so very special.

Following on from the delightfully spirited “Tease”, ‘Holy Soul’ offers a further taste of their forthcoming OOM VELT EP, and what it lacks in BPM it more than makes up for in it’s effervescent display of both mood and texture. Gorgeously rich vocal twist themselves around each other, repeating yearning declarations of love and lust and riding high above a dynamic bed of finger-click beats and varying instrumental tricks and tics. The subtleties seem to bubble just close to enough to the surface to truly draw the listener in.

Despite the understated nature of these imaginative fluctuations, it’s within them where Salt Cathedral really come alive. “Holy Soul” is all the more rewarding because of the discretion it shows: a delicately-crafted anthem shrouded in disguise, nuances spread across a broad canvas. It’s a captivating addition to their body of work, and they remain one of the most enticing prospects around.

OOM VELT EP is released on 25 August (limited edition 12” cream vinyl). Salt Cathedral play at Rough Trade, NYC on 19 August.