shepup - “Wave / Honey Barge”
From Queens, New York, singer-songwriter shepup has just released the stripped-back, vintage-steeped sounds of her double-single: “Wave / Honey Barge.”
Fans of The Beatles will find themselves instantly enchanted by the rolling mellotron flutes of “Wave.” After the track’s initial sounds of gently plucked acoustic guitar, the vibe gloriously shifts to something more akin to “Strawberry Fields,” with a little “Across the Universe” thrown in for good measure.
And while the billowing tops of the mellotron will most assuredly capture your interest, the rhythm section has been doused in a thick and creamy compression that cements the song’s classic, analogue sense of character. Of course, the finishing touch is shepup’s vocal performance, as she imbues “Wave” with a raw and honest delivery that navigates the emotional currents of life.
“Honey Barge” is more poetic in nature. And though its lyrical content can be taken quite literally, it also traverses the metaphorical “comfort of staying in a stagnant relationship, where the routine feels safe but is ultimately suffocating.” Strewn across the top of a remarkable, finger-plucked acoustic guitar performance, shepup offers listeners a multi-layered vocal that gently burrows its way to your soul.
The vintage-tinged rhythm section is also present within this tune, but the textures of ambience that rise and swell in the distance are what we have truly found bewitching. Some of these sounds range from the sporadic, orchestral tones of an organ to the vibey, reverberating notes of a lead guitar. “Honey Barge” is the kind of song that begs to be experienced via headphones, blocking out the rest of the world and climbing aboard its intimate existence.
This is the first we’re hearing from shepup, but we hope that you find “Wave” and “Honey Barge” just as enthralling as we have…. You won’t know until you’ve pressed that play button. Both tunes are available everywhere via Paper Moon Records.