New Ropes: “Panorama”

It’s bare – just a voice and some guitar. But, like may.e throughout this year, the duo Ropes manage to draw out a lot of power from this minimalist set-up. Whereas may.e turns simplicity into sonic ecstasy, Ropes deal in a sort of loving chilliness that is like a whisper to the ear. The main vocals rise and fall elegantly, eschewing any sort of flair in favor of a simple style. It gels well with the guitar playing, which is mostly just some acoustic picking. Yet at critical points, the guitar picks up in intensity, as if more than one note is being hit at the same time. They have a new mini-album out this week, and here’s a great intro to them. Watch above.