Cole Berliner and Dylan Hadley used to be in the skronky, chaotic San Francisco psych-rock band Kamikaze Palm Trees together. Last year, the two of them reintroduced themselves as the underground synthpop duo Sharpie Smile and released their very good debut album The Staircase. Now, Berliner is making music on his own, and it's another drastic reinvention.
This spring, Berliner will release his solo debut, a country-folk album called The Black Door. The title track, out today, is a soft, ambling instrumental with a slightly cinematic sensibility. Berliner describes the song as "an ode to the sweetness and darkness of memory, both in one’s immediate life and in the context of history. The inspiration was drawn from the mystical sounds of American (and proto-American!) folk music and swing, filtered through the lens of heart-string pullers like Bert Jansch and Jim O’Rourke, and carved into something both personal and simultaneously universal."
Dylan Hadley plays drums and percussion on The Black Door, with Laena Myers on violin and Garret Lang on, acoustic bass. Berliner plays guitar, lap-steel, and synth, and he co-produced it with Cesar Maria. Below, check out the tracklist, Berliner's tour dates, and the Fred Joseph-directed video for "The Black Door."
TRACKLIST:
01 "The Black Door"
02 "A Western Sun"
03 "Poppies"
04 "Bongo Syndicate"
05 "Bugle Call"
06 "Country Tea"
07 "Window Leans Left"
08 "The Light"
09 "Cathedral"
10 "Death Of Stars"
TOUR DATES:
6/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon (Album Release Party)
6/04 - San Francisco, CA @ Makeout Room
6/06 - Arcata, CA -@Moss Oak Commons
6/07 - Portland, OR @ Turn, Turn, Turn
6/08 - Olympia, WA @ The Crypt
6/13 - Joshua Tree, CA @ Firehouse
The Black Door is out 5/29 on Drag City.
