Brooklyn-based duo Bathe have been crafting and delivering transcendent alt-R&B jams since late 2018’s “Sure Shot”. Manifesting itself as a sort of self-described “surf-R&B,” “Sundress” is one of those distinctively late Summer cuts that looks and feels like a temporal bookmark for going back and reliving past happy memories.
Birthed from the loneliness of last year’s quarantine, “Sundress” tells the story of Summer rendezvous with friends that never came to pass. Vocalist Devin Hobdy’s breathy, airy vocals reverberate through the track over Corey Smith-West’s remarkably deft guitar and production. Light horns and echoing drums top off the distinctively wavy atmosphere that makes the revelatory alt-R&B jam come to life. The Morian Thomas-directed visual is a solemn remembrance of the tender memories that had to be sacrificed during the pandemic. With warm low lights and friends taking the place of actors, the visual gives off strong post-pandemic “San Junipero” vibes that are more than welcome as the world begins to reopen to normal life.
Something that doesn’t get talked about enough in the world of alt-R&B is the ability to generate steady narratives through sound. This underappreciated skill for storytelling is at its forefront with Bathe; consistently generating flawless little bits of audio cinema that just wash over the listener, bathing them in a lushly organized soul wonderland.
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