Introducing: Braids – Lemonade / Plath Heart

It’s been hard not to hear the buzz surrounding Canadian post-pop band Braids since the release of their debut LP, ‘Native Speaker’ last month. The quartet have impressed audiences with their lingering, surreal approach to pop tunes and are set to push their psychedelic jaunts further with the upcoming double A-side release, ‘Lemonade / Plath Heart’.

‘Lemonade’ pits insistent, pulsating key strokes against Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s intense, ethereal vocals and honestly it’s hard to tell who claims the victory. The band craft an otherworldly experiment in ambience, mixing genuine synth strokes with understated percussion to form an impressive sound. Vocally, the track is a progressive triumph of passion, as Standell-Preston moves from reserved whispers to a jubilant declaration of emotion, shouting “All we want to do is love” with all the noise she can muster. At almost seven minutes the track uses delicate strokes over a lengthy canvas to create something definitely worth a closer listen.

Braids- Lemonade/ Plath Heart by Anorak London

The band will no doubt earn the inevitable nods to Animal Collective, but on ‘Plath Heart’ the band prove that they aren’t content performing in the shadow of another artist. The track operates in a much smaller frame than ‘Lemonade’ without losing any of the band’s innovative charm, mixing warm tones with vocal laments in an impressive effort.

The single will be available from March 14th on Kanine Records and includes remixes from Green Go and Silly Kissers.

– James Conlon