Princeton's Bloomsbury EP
Download “The Waves” | The story of Princeton is enchanting: twins unite with childhood friend for a “musical partnership” after watching That Thing You Do (hells yeah), and years later reunite and play in London, where over the course of a year they are drawn towards influences that end up as fodder to their lovely EP titled Bloomsbury, which they write in their current hometown of Los Angeles. The lyrics of each of the four songs profiles one member of the Bloomsbury Group, and though the lyrics are often effortlessly dazzling (So Leonard Woolf don’t cry, your books will one day speak to me / And when they do we’ll run outside, and tell your wife…and tell your wife…), it’s really the musical sensitivities that shine through. The strong nonverbal voice of a storyteller is immediately apparent in the texture of each recording, and how carefully yet painlessly different parts swing from one tone to another.
The storytelling is akin to the skills Sufjan deployed in Michigan, though the effort here is intentionally less epic and seemingly un-orchestrated. The atmosphere of the music is very present, and at least in me it triggered a suburban image for some reason: gaping blue sky, quiet streets, and so on.
Which Virgina Woolf book does this blog get its name from? You’re on your own on that one, but view the full post to find out why the band is named Princeton.
Answer: Princeton is the street in Los Angeles brothers Jesse and Matt Kivel grew up on.
Check out Princeton’s website: you’ll be welcomed by a wonderful sketch of the four Bloomsburies profiled. It’s drawn by Stephen Halker, who has, the band tells us, also sketched for Sufjan, and did the artwork for the EP cover.
