Loma are just a few short weeks away from the release of new album Don’t Shy Away, and they’ve already released four singles from it – but they’re giving us even more treats with the revalation of yet another pearl, “Elliptical Days”. It’s a song that was started by Dan Duzsynski in Ableton, developed with Jonathan Meiburg, had vocals added by Emily Cross, and then horns to add the cherry on top – a truly collaborative piece. Meiburg says:
“The horn session for Don’t Shy Away was one of the most exciting moments in making the record. They drove out to the studio one evening and blew their hearts out for three hours, without hearing any of the songs beforehand. I think they left feeling a bit confused about what kind of record this was, but they were really good sports about it.”
Across the singles released so far, Loma have already shown their diversity of approach and arrangements, but “Elliptical Days” might be the most concise distillation of their myriad talents. The early combination of searching synths and light piano flecks already sets a different palette, with bass stabs and even some koto soon adding even more atmosphere. Cross’ voice is just as attuned to this environment, reflecting off the glistening instrumentation with poetic observations about human existence. Before long, “Elliptical Days” starts to expand with choral backing vocals that give it a gospel-like feeling, and then those horns – so joyously described by Meiburg above – come strutting in, giving the track an additional oomph that emphasises all the beauty already on display.
Loma’s new album Don’t Shy Away comes out through Sub Pop on October 23. You can find the band on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
