Listen To B-Sides From Baobab's Upcoming EP "In 7.59 Billion Years, We're All Gonna Die"

I've made no attempts at hiding my fanboy-isms for Durham's Baobab.  Phil Torres brilliantly blends an electronic approach with traditional folk sentiments to create a sleek finished product.  Baobab has already released one of my favorite albums of 2013 with BAYOHBAHB, but the songwriter isn't quite done yet, as we'll be getting an EP later this year with the bleak title of In 7.59 Billion Years, We're All Gonna Die.  For those of you that checked out my interview with Phil on WKNC's Artist of the Month feature back in February, this is no news to you.  However, it is exciting to hear previews of the upcoming EP in these b-sides from the forthcoming release.

These two new tracks showcase to very different sides of the prolific Durham artist, one highlights Torres' innate ability to craft free-flowing melodies with a particular sense of nonchalance while the second track brilliantly brings attention to his ability to build a dense, atmospheric soundscape to immerse yourself in.

"The Boy Shot The Man With The Gun" is the lead-off track for this short collection of B-Sides, it opens with a bare-boned acoustic riff and gradually builds into a rich track filled with reverb-washed harmonies, mood-building whistling and bright melodies that perfectly counteract the darker lyricism.  The song toys with rustic influences re-packaged with a contemporary approach, smooth slides provide grand dynamics while the ending vocal refrain nods towards gospel influences.

"We Exist In The Present (But Only Ever Experience The Past)" shows off Torres' intellectual, heady approach to his music.  Field recordings of rushing water and reversed synth lines add an atmospheric blend of texture to this tune, taking the backseat to a vocal exploration of astrophysics and Earth's relation to the universe that surrounds it.  The title of the track suddenly morphs into an explanation of this speech as the song goes on, the importance of the music and vocal sample trading off.  By the time the track is fading away with a simple guitar riff, the listener feels as if they've undergone an aural adventure into the depths of not only their mind, but the world that surrounds them.

If this is what we can expect from Baobab's upcoming EP then color me excited.  Listen to the new tracks below: