Hibou exists somewhere between the expansiveness of a summer day and the confines of bedroom. As the band’s sole member, Peter Michel aims to capture the transcendental beauty of a Seattle summer – a rare and beautiful thing in itself. It’s a vision he pursued after his stint as a touring drummer for Craft Spells and then began to realize with 2013’s Dunes EP. Now, he’s taking this idea even further with the project’s debut full-length, out September 18th via Barsuk Records.
“I recorded this album in my walk-in closet and my room at my parents’ house,” Michel tells Consequence Of Sound. “Using a mic, a guitar, and my minuscule knowledge of music software, I created sounds that reflect and draw inspiration from nostalgic summers, relationships, and Seattle’s Discovery Park. These 11 songs are dedicated to the people I shared the last three years with.”
The album balances the competing ideas of the indoors and outdoors masterfully with hazy vocals and swirling guitar melodies. Each track shimmers with the enthusiasm of Seattleites on the first emergence of cloud breaks, but has the looming sense of introspection that comes with bedroom pop. Opener “Dissolve” spirals with bright guitar freakouts and an eerie chorus of Michel’s vocals. Elsewhere, drums snap with authority underneath a plodding bass line on “Eleanor”, creating a foundation for Michel to mold into a pensive synth-ballad.
Pre-orders are ongoing.
