First Look: Baths – “Cerulean”

Baths’ Cerulean is a bit of a throwback – a nod to the mid-‘00s pre-Justice/blog house intersection of hip-hop, folk and electronica practiced by artists such as Fog and Why. (It’s no coincidence that the album’s being released by left-field hip-hop label Anticon, which has been affiliated with both those artists.) Cerulean blends Shamu-sized beats with gentler melodies and acoustic arrangements, with stuttering, strobe-light production that might earn a chillwave tag – or at least comparisons to fellow young luminary Toro Y Moi. But Baths, luxurious as the band name sounds, hits too hard for mere relaxation.

Baths – “Maximalist”: mp3

(Cerulean is out now on Anticon)