Porcelain Raft – “Unless You Speak From Your Heart” (video)

A song by Porcelain Raft, “Unless You Speak From Your Heart”, was “Today’s Top Tune” on KCRW the other day and I was instantly captivated. Its wavering synth intro led into the fuzzed out musical landscape of dream pop, until female vocals entered with symphonic percussion similar to Beach House. This tune is the selected single off is the new release, Strange Weekend, and rightly so. The catchy melody drifts over the tightly-wound song structure, creating a worthy listen. Behind the scenes is composer Mauro Remiddi, an Italian ex-pat who is now based in New York City. He’s on tour with Youth Lagoon, M83 and the Smith Westerns — certainly good company to be around. The video for the song is an arty black and white shoot of the band gamely trading places in front of a stark white background. They’re not exactly playing any instruments, but it’s nice to at least get a visual sense of the group. Many bands are opting out of this vehicle of communication, so this video did not disappoint an eager new fan.