Jacco Gardner - "Clear The Air" / "A House On The Moon"

The list of instruments 24-year old Dutch musician Jacco Gardner plays on his songs is startlingly steep: the clarient, bass, keyboard, violin, harpsichord, mellotron, flute, organ. Basically, every instrument under the sun save the drums. Gardner, who's already released two 7"s via Chicago's Trouble In Mind imprint, is slated to release his debut long player Cabinet of Curiosities on the label February 12th. Recorded, engineered, and produced by himself in his Shadow Shoppe Studio in his hometown of Zwaag, the songs are lushly orchestrated, excruciatingly detailed, grand and dramatic works of pop music. Purely analog creations—there's no computer wizardry, looping, or samples here—Gardner's songs nod to the baroque psychedelia of the past, particularly 1960s pioneers like Syd Barrett. But playfully layered and complex tracks like "Clear The Air" and "A House On The Moon" need no reference point, just a pair of ears to pour into and unfold Gardner's whimsical, engrossing, and refreshingly nuanced sonic palette.