Olden Yolk
Living Theatre (black)
The musical duo of Shane Butler and Caity Shaffer released their debut album as Olden Yolk last year, an alluring concoction of hypnagogic folk and kosmische rhythms, expanding and refining Butler's work in his former band Quilt toward a more focused direction. The songs on 'Living Theatre' were written and recorded during a heavy time of transition and upheaval for the duo, with personal tragedies and a big move from their NYC home to a warmer climate in Los Angeles coloring the album's inception. Musically, the duo's songwriting has gelled into a unified front, relying more on the subtle shifts of melody and rhythm than a barrage of chord changes; 'Living Theatre's hooks lap at your feet like a babbling brook, rather than bowl you over like violent waves.