Waldo Witt’s new EP, Inner Paths, beckons listeners to fully immerse themselves in the singer/producer’s psyche. The North Carolinian fuses together synth-pop, psych rock, and R&B to create groovy soundscapes that illicite introspection. It’s easy to get lost in the sauce of the dense arrangements he crafts, but the vocal melodies reach out and guide you back down his path. Recording his last record from his van, Inner Paths also allows Witt to use the studio as an instrument, as intricate production, mixing, and processing seamlessly eb and flow with the palette of a cunning professional.
The five track EP takes the listeners on a fully formed journey of peaks and valleys, expressing a wide range of emotion. It is able to slide right into the rare pocket of stasis between adhering to pop music conventions and simultaneously breaking down those conventions with electronic experimentation. The opening track “For The First Time”, builds a groove into a multi-layered vocal release, swirling from ear to ear. The hooks from “Remember To Forget” and “Umstead Park” are undeniably catchy, while the title track could be heard at the club and “Lost On The Highway” could have been a hidden gem on The Breakfast Club soundtrack.
Overall, Inner Paths carves out the middle ground between Toro y Moi and Peter Gabriel, sentimentally nodding to the 80’s whilst sprinting past them into the world of contemporary production. With this release, Witt is able to actualize what Kevin Parker was trying (emphasis on trying) to do with the last Tame Impala album. The detailed synthesis and drum sequences also hearken back to groups like Yellow Magic Orchestra. One of the most disappointing things about this EP is that it may be a while before these songs can be performed, which is a shame, because they are rife for live experimentation.
-Hayden Steckel