The first single released by Thomas Benjamin Alexander, who goes by Imaginary Persons, comes from a familiar place with its country-tinged lo-fi approach, yet boasts a full-bodied sound that should translate exquisitely once he decides to take it into a live setting. But the real news is how ‘Give,’ being his first release, sounds so poised and self-assured, with a warm, earnest feel that recalls the intricately layered melodies of other fellow Californian Jason Lytle. Whereas he wants to take his project into a spacial conceptual frame is a story for another day, since not much has been said of the project besides releasing a full-length by the end of the year, though Alexander does share a fondness for psych-informed pop in song form; meaning, his heart is certainly in the right place where he to take it in a more sonically intricate direction. What we can say for now is that the minor-key simplicity of ‘Give’ makes it one of the strongest offerings of the local scene of this year, a wistful mid-tempo cut that shimmers with its sheer tunefulness.
