Mimi Pretend - Colorado 1996 (Lolipop Records)

It wasn’t that long ago that Mimi Pretend came to my attention. It was the single “God Damn” that was the first blip on my radar, and I have to say that I loved what I heard. So much so that I made mental note to catch up with whatever she did next. Well, here it is. Colorado 1996, the latest EP is indeed what she did next. And it is utterly enchanting.

Like the aforementioned single, this is a collection of six songs that gather around them gossamer sonic strands, lush chiming soundscapes, shimmering seductions, and hushed vocals that are partially subsumed by the music being made around them. This vocal embedding makes you lean into the music to try to hear what is being said but also turn it into an instrument in its own right, an additional musical texture, as much as a direct means of communication.

But there is more going on here than just some sort of ambient wash or chilled soundscaping, though there is plenty of that. Just listen to the dynamic journey that “First Time” takes us on – from dark, understated opening lines through Lynchian explosions of kaleidoscopic sounds and shimmering, dayglo musical colors before fading back into near nothingness. Gorgeous and clever…what a great combination.

“Nobody Lives in Wyoming” reminds me of the more minimal output of Mazzy Star another band that could switch between dark, Americana-infused alt-rock and hazy, floating dream-pop at will, and “Rocky Flats” proves that she can make cinematic music that almost doesn’t exist, all atmosphere and anticipation rather than music in the conventional sense.

“God Damn” brought Mimi Pretend to my attention, which, I guess, is the job of a stand-alone single but Colorado 1996 has placed her firmly on the I’m gonna play this to death until they release something else list and not many bands or artists make it to that one.

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