California's Patti Yang, who spends much of her time in the Mojave desert, has just released her latest single "Black Box". Much of her visual aesthetic is tied to the desert, always imbued with that dry heat and a sort of Americana-style nostalgia, but her music sounds positively futuristic in its coldness. Still, there's a certain seductive edge to her vocals that contrasts nicely against the dark and cold vocals. In particular, Patti's vocals twist and writhe through the track with just a hint of strain, like a lover waking from a deep sleep. When faced with an artist as complex and as rich in juxtapositions as Yang, digging deep in their back catalogue can be more rewarding than ever.
