New Emerald Four: “Marigold”

Kyoto’s Emerald Four have always let themselves drift, but earlier releases from the duo felt lost in space, marked by synthesizer and echo-grazed vocals. New song “Marigold” brings them down to earth, though the spaced-out vibe remains. It’s a sparse song, featuring guitar and a simple drum beat (and eventually some keyboard) wrapped in a package of slight feedback. That leaves the space remaining for the vocals to hover overhead, unfolding slowly and sounding like every syllable is thought over deeply. It’s the most indie-pop Emerald Four have ever sounded, yet they still manage to make “Marigold” sound like it belongs in their orbit. Listen above.