While New York mourned the end of much celebrated DIY rock quartet LVL UP late last year, the months following the group’s dissolution have been marked by an uptick of activity among the solo projects of the band’s former members. Nick Corbo’s Spirit Was is one of those projects, one that carries the doom-laden distortion and wandering, esoteric lyricism that characterized some of LVL UP’s best work. And while split single “Golden Soul” feels as though it could be B-Sides from albums like Space Brothers or Hoodwink’d, Corbo’s added instrumental and vocal experimentation on “Olive Branch & Brown Dove” is a welcome addition to the city’s alt-rock tapestry, an expansion upon the oeuvre of his former group that continually becomes weirder, grittier, and more enigmatic in the best way.
Spirit Was will play Alphaville on February 8th, supported by Yours Are the Only Ears and IR Moody. Until then, stream “Golden Soul” below. –Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)