“Silverlake,” the first song Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink collaborated on after a six-year hiatus as Azure Ray, didn’t make the cut for their 2010 LP, Drawing Down the Moon, but now it’s been reworked from the original demo and made ready for release as a single. While the tune’s nostalgic lyrics, sparse atmospheric touches, understated piano-backed melody, and poignant string quartet-laced outro are notable in their own right, noting the presence of the late Sparklehorse mastermind Mark Linkous, who tragically died last March, might pique your interest even more.
The final version, which was polished with the help of Eric Bachmann by combining pieces recorded by Linkous and Scott Minor in Knoxville, TN with new tracks, is available alongside the demo on iTunes, as a free download here, and streaming below. Also after the jump are two professionally shot and mixed live videos from the Middle East club in Boston.
Azure Ray – “Silverlake”