Cosmonaut. Pickle Darling

Today it's time to pay some attention to a small album, not only in the number of songs and length, but in the sense that this is a modest album. An album that does almost nothing else but present nice, small songs. Songs that are a mix between conventional sounds and electronic ones, while the singing is always electronically treated, at times even towards Smurf levels.

Until recently I had never heard of Pickle Darling. Through the attention the Flying Nun Newsletter gave to the single 'Blushing', the one person band came on my radar enough to create a mental post-it for further listening once the album would be there. Now it is and Cosmonaut is more than enough reason to give that attention here.

Pickle Darling may have been a band once, now it is the Christchurch bedchamber project of Lukas Mayo, who creates all the sounds there. Cosmonaut is its second album, after 2019's 'Bigness'. If I have to compare the album, it would be to Astral Swans' and Carol Cleveland Sings' albums. Not to forget Dutch bedchamber project Moon Moon Moon. The first for the vibes, the second for the sounds and vibes. The third to all the general similarities. Mayo's voice treatments bring me back (over) 20 years to Sparklehorse's best albums.

Mayo, makes the most of what he has lying around him. Old synths, simple rhythm boxes and a vocoder of some sort. The most distinct instrument is a banjo that can be heard regularly. The result is mostly electronic songs of a simplicity that could be laid aside easily, were it not that they all sound so incredibly good. Lo-Fi gets a new dimension in the electrical sounds Pickle Darling presents. All sounds are extremely tasteful. Several artists use these instruments but the result is often rather coarse music. Pickle Darling gives the impression that all instruments are subtle, if not a loving treatment makes them shine just this little more. It makes Cosmonaut an album that is not overjoyed but certainly shining as bright as the sun currently does outside my window right now. It's a subdued soundtrack for a bright sunny, summer's day.

Something Pickle Darling is able to do in some of the songs, like e.g. in the only 2.26 minutes long single 'Blushing', is to turn it totally inside out. To change course and direction within this short period of time, without hindering the listening experience in any way. (The opening song 'Achieve Lift!' does the same, should you wonder I missed it.) Other songs are far more straightforward but never without the little sounds that make listening to them an experience in itself, the joy of it apart. All the "little" sounds make Cosmonaut sound so sympathetic that it is almost possible to forget how good it actually is.

A side thought I had listening to Cosmonaut in full sound is the impression that Lukas Mayo hides behind his digital instruments, not showing his true self, From that came all other sort of thoughts, that I decided not to pursue. Whether it's true or not is inconsequential. Listening to a song like 'Gently Crashes' in the end tells all. The upbeat instrumental opening. The more contemplative mood change to the part where he opens himself fully, the poem of the moon being in love by Alayne Dick, followed by a return to the contemplation part ending the song. Beauty in obscuring electronics? "We can be better than this", a Mayo sings. And is.

There are several reasons why you should listen to Cosmonaut. I just gave you a few. The link is below so you can start listening and draw your own conclusions.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Pickle Darling here:

https://pickledarling.bandcamp.com/album/cosmonaut-2

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g