Free Download: Parc Sun - 'Leaving'

New Zealand. Land of the long white cloud. Rugby world champions. Good wine. Excellent music scene. I was fortunate enough to spend the best part of 13 months in good ol' NZ around 10 years ago and it is a time that I am quite partial to muse over fondly.

Anyway, enough of this NZ love-in. What, I hear you say, of Parc Sun and the new single 'Leaving'. Well, firstly, Parc Sun is made up entirely of one person - Jesse Austin. If my research is worth any salt whatsoever, this talented young musician is originally from Hamilton and was schooled at Saint Peter's in the Cambridge area. It is at school he was one third of a band called SundayBest which enjoyed some national competition recognition with the track 'Wake Up'. However, now living in country's capital, Wellington, Jesse has decided to strike out on his own and has produced a cracking little single which will lead to the release of his EP 'Commune'.

The record is my sort of thing - stripped back, little in the way of backing but what is there is used to drive the track along, and, most importantly, a chance to indulge in the voice of the artist. The opening 30 seconds of synth-driven ambient beats and a sumptuous organ sound make way for Jesse's voice to take centre stage. Deep, shimmering and eloquent in crafting the story of the record, you can't help but relax into his vocal. We are swept along for next two minutes before the towering synth-organ returns, beats rescinded, Jesse's voice our vessel to steer us towards an oasis of calm in the track, after which that warm rumble vocal returns to carry us home.

This is a delightful, lo-fi, ambient record with a healthy dash of pop. If Jesse is one of New Zealand's promising talents, then the Kiwi music industry is in a very good place indeed.

Words of Dave Nelson