Soft Estate - The Painted Ship

Another new one from Mamma's Mysterika Jukebox and a minor left turn, perhaps? Soft Estate are a new name to me. As it seems they are for a good many others - Jack Rollo's press release for the LP begins with the line, "Soft Estate are a band i don't know". Just as well, then, that you can learn a fair bit about their interests from just a few listens of The Painted Ship. Seven short grey-toned synth and drum machine led downers that make a poor attempt to disguise their sadness with a hearty melodicism. The kind of DIY/artschool minimal wave that wins great affection around these parts, making as it does various allusions to Julia Holter, Nite Jewel, Carol and, most obviously, Anna Domino - the template here is essentially Everyday, I Don't. If you're gonna adhere to a template, there are far worse places to start, and Soft Estate display an extremely adept understanding of the same kind of economical songwriting that manages to elicit complex emotions from minimal components. When you put it like that, perhaps not such a left turn for Mamma's Mysterika Jukebox after all...