In the world of boys who sit alone in their bedrooms all day and take their shot at composing something brilliant on their acoustic guitar or stand-up keyboard, it's hard to say whether any of them do anything original or just try their best to emulate figures like Elliot Smith.
Coma Cinema, a one-man show from South Carolina, is one that is trying to establish a name for itself. Mat Cothran constructs short-lived catchy songs that are lo-fi to the max and, especially on his first 2 albums, show the best side of lethargically-formed somber pop. His vocals are always tinged by a little bit of sorrow, a little bit of longing, and a little bit of optimism. He can go from low guitar strum moping in the dark to upbeat, lick-happy singing.
More recently, he has been playing with the distorted fuzz he had been carefully applying to some of his songs, and the result is a wonder of sounds that leave you lost in his woods. "Her Sinking Sun", coming off his next LP
Blue Suicide, features watery synths, gratuitous fuzz, and multi-layered vocals to satisfy your wintery yearnings for hibernation.
He's got a sense of style:
"Her Sinking Sun"
Also, pick up all his records for free on
his website.
