Blindman The Gambler by Nashpaints

Mostly a hazy mix of acoustic and electric guitar and vocal layers, Blindman The Gambler culls the same playful wonderment associated with the 21st century, freak folk outfits, a type of songwriting that encourages a pressed-eyelids dizzy drifting. It carries a surprisingly wide set of sounds that feel a part of the same calm universe; on “Found Myself,” a double-stop violin joins an acoustic guitar, bobbing field recordings and what sounds like a helium-induced voice, all parts anointed by a delayed keyboard part moving around the stereo space. Sparingly and selectively enacting these sounds, only occasionally does something stick out as extraordinary and when it does, it feels more charming than anything else.

Although each track leaves a unique impression, each tapping into a multi-genre sound, however slight, the three-track sequence of “Big Blue,” “No Mind,” and “Gold” unveils Nashpaints’ range. Durutti Column guitar chords and movement drape around “Big Blue,” a track propelled a bumbling bass, snappy, treble percussion and warm ambience. On “No Mind,” uncomplicated vocals are tucked under thickly distorted guitar, bleeding into other sonic debris. Undergirded by a bouncy rhythm track, a mass of sound with the same shoegaze bliss of My Bloody Valentine’s “Soon” or organic nature of an untethered song from of The Glow Pt. 2, choosing a mix of lo-fi production techniques met with hushed and warm vocals. “Gold,” a slow-burner with vague dub and house properties, churns with a sustained two-chord keyboard progression, sparse, nimble bass and a tambourine’s metal cymbals establishing a bpm nestled right in one typical of a house track.

Blindman The Gambler is modest and slightly exploratory in nature, always choosing to anchor in some attractive pop element before it drifts off. McDonald crafts intriguing melodies and places them in a backdrop of warm, sincere instrumentation. As a quiet missive, this cassette leaves the impression of a one-off recording, possibly a byproduct of hobby. It is subtle nature and timid beauty is in part due to its size. More than anything, Blindman The Gambler is a reflection of how important the small, quiet projects continue to be.