Tristan Dolce - “Alaska”

LA-based phonometrician Tristan Dolce has just released the warm and masterfully nostalgic sounds of “Alaska,” the second single from his upcoming record, Medium True.

This tune begins with the light strums from a vibey guitar, spread across the top of some deeper tones provided by the bass. It isn’t long before the drum kit arrives, subtly sweeping us away on a gentle and vibrant listening experience, likely resulting in your feet tapping.

The production is reasonably lo-fi and intimate, which brings to the surface our favorite brand of authenticity. As the arrangement unfolds, it is quite easy to imagine “Alaska“ being performed on stage, which we much prefer over the digital remnants left within many modern recordings.

Dolce’s voice is a wonderful pleasure to behold. Reminiscent of The Shins and Death Cab for Cutie, his vocal performance enters your ears like good news from an old friend. We detect no traces of autotune and when the harmonies hit, it is easy to forget where you are, as well as the baggage that you had to carry in order to get there.

And as lovely as the song is, its lyrics should not be overlooked. Dolce has been blessed with the gift of penning words that resonate deeply within one’s chest, so when we heard “But it’s fine, I still feel like I’m 25… What a time to be pretending to be alive,” it was like looking through an old photo album and wondering where your life went.

While most of us must wait until January 12th to hear the rest of the record, there’s a chance that Dolce still has a few copies of Medium True on cassette to give away. You can hit him up for those here. If you’re anything like us, you’ve already added it to your list of records to own in 2024.

-HD