MP3 At 3PM: Great Elk

Apparently, experience as a dog-sled handler transcribes to beautiful folk songs. After four years working with huskies in rural Alaska, Paul Basile moved back home to Brooklyn to polish off melodies he created on nights by the fire. Basile shares a remarkable physical resemblance to Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and his band with guitar whiz Patrick Hay, Great Elk, also has a similar musical presence. “Vibrations,” from Great Elk’s self-released, self-titled EP (out June 22), layers acoustic strumming with echoey electric guitar. And it’s Basile’s voice that’s most revealing and best characterizes the song. His gritty vibrato lends style and soul to his lyrics. His pitch isn’t always perfect, and he often sounds like he’s improvising, making his music a physical presence, like warm hands on your cold body. After the EP’s release, look for tour dates along the East Coast.

“Vibrations” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/Vibrations.mp3