Lee Noble “December∞”

27 Mar 2013 — Henning Lahmann

Lee Noble is a marvel. One of the few truly unique figures in contemporary underground music, his unassuming compositions could count as the essence of left-field American pop in the post-chillwave/hypnagogic landscape, but one might suppose that it's his own reticence and knowing aloofness that keep the LA artist from seeking the larger audience his work would actually deserve. Seeing him perform at Neukölln's grubby Loophole recently, completely immersed in his shambolic setup of keyboard, tape player, and a bunch of effect pedals, delivering his set in a curiously academic manner as if sitting at a library table, it became clear to me that Noble has already obtained a place in modern music that is entirely his own.

And that one's indeed more than remarkable: Informed both by harsh noise exploration and subtly psychedelic ambient on the one hand, and unashamedly gracious, disarmingly honest pop tropes on the other, his previous full-length Horrorism was my second-favourite album of 2011, and the upcoming follow-up Ruiner seamlessly draws on the predecessor's convincing concept while cautiously deepening the pop aspect of the music, with more discernible hooks, without abandoning the overarching, gently meansering drones that characterise Noble's songs. First single "December∞" is a perfect first taste of the album, a melancholic but not pessimistic tune that blends clear, vivid pop structures and dequantised textures of warm and encompassing ambient.

Ruiner is out April 30 on Bathetic. Pre-order the LP now over here.