It’s been an engaging (and exciting) experience to see the through-line developing on Capsules, the forthcoming debut record by New York-based folk soothsayer Hayfitz, something one could liken to reading sections from a diary non-linearly. New track “Kitchen” maintains a similar environment to previous single “Daylight,” as Brandon Hafetz’s quiet, impressionistic recollections of the past drift over evenhanded guitar chords and lush analogue synths, but while Hafetz’s last single detailed the harsh truth of being honest and having “sober conversations,” “Kitchen” feels like a fresh start. A repeating chorus of questions (“What’s your name? What’s your story?”) emphasizes the different kind of intimacy the single details, the terrifying prospect of knowing someone else and being known yourself. Once more, Hafetz’s focus on the vulnerable nature of the human condition, the pain inherent to our interconnecting lives, is rendered brightly, beautifully, and softly, through trembling falsetto and an intrepid blend of acoustic and electronic sounds. Give it a listen below ahead of his LP’s release on May 29th. —Connor Beckett McInerney
