Natureboy – Natureboy
Natureboy is Sara Kermanshahi , an American of Iranian descent. Blessed with a voice that will haunt the listener long after her records have been played, her performance rivals Beach House and Bradford Cox (of Atlas Sound/Deerhunter renown) for sheer impact.
It’s hard to think of an opening song as stunning as ‘Curses Fired’ this year. The genius is in the simplicity; just a simple acoustic figure and Natureboy’s heartbreaking vocal. She repeats the trick again – but with added echo – on the similarly perfect ‘Famous Sons’. Comparisons have obviously been made with Beach House thanks to the dreamy production and the singer’s emotive vocal and although it’s an excellent compliment this is a talent who can be as independent as she wants to be. Witness the lovely, delicate instrumental passage ‘Dither’ and the chiming ‘Railroad Apt.’, both of which hark back to a very English kind of 1980′s indie rock.
With both her intricate finger picking and shiver-inducing vocal, Kermanshahi possesses an intimacy that is all too rare in today’s artists. What is more, her debut is excellent from start to finish.
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