Shrunken Elvis – “An Old Outlet”

This one’s been building anticipation for some time, and I’m excited to see an official release after dozens of live teases. A Nashville trio built from three RSTB faves in their own right, the group brings together Spencer Cullum, Sean Thompson, and Rich Ruth. The players have long been in each other’s orbit, but began the band in earnest on a UK tour for Spencer’s first solo album. Eschewing outright folk, country, and jazz signifiers that might be expected of the players from their backgrounds, the works on Shrunken Elvis’ debut explore a Kosmiche iciness that bleeds into the kind of Ambient Country and fusion that’s been championed by SUSS, Seawind of Battery, or Luke Shneider. First single, “An Old Outlet,” sinks into the synth bass burble and dusty saunter of drum programing. Thompson’s guitars move away from the flash and twang of his usual arsenal and into something more humid, dripping down the speakers in damp rivulets, sparing with the fog of Ruth’s synths, and the mournful ache of Cullum’s steel. The single sets up a debut, out September 5th from Western Vinyl.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.