Song of the Day: Ultimate Painting - Central Park Blues

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Central Park Blues” by Ultimate Painting from the 2014 self-titled album on Trouble In Mind Records.

Ultimate Painting - Central Park Blues (MP3)

The collaboration between Mazes frontman Jack Cooper and Veronica Falls vocalist James Hoare gave birth to one of the most charming, oddly affecting, and certainly unique collection of indie garage to hit our ears in 2014. Unpretentiously artful, the self-titled release is a showcase of a duo who seem almost pathologically unable to write a song that isn't immediately catchy. Stripped back and naked in its approach, “Central Park Blues” is the faultless contrast of woozy nonchalance and succinct guitar work wrapped up in a cozy lo-fi sonic landscape. Laid back and layered, the track is loaded with nifty little touches and accents that give the song a rich palette of color and substance. Central Park Blues is the perfect weekend jam, astute and relaxed in its delivery, as it niggles its way into your brain with each repeated listen.

The band has just embarked on a series of shows across their native England before they hit up Europe and finally land on our shores in March. To find the show closest to you (or just keep in touch with the group), head over to their Tumblr page. For now, here they are playing their self-titled song live in Brixton last year: