Daily Dose: Louis Prince, “Half Acres”
Photo by Justin March
Daily Dose is your daily source for the song you absolutely, positively need to hear every day. Curated by the Paste Music Team.
Figuring out who you are is a never-ending process. We’re not sure who needs to hear this right now, but: That’s alright. Take your time. Try new things. Move across the country. Eat some good food.
Louis Prince (real name: Jake McMullen) wants you to know that, too. On his debut single, the Nashville newcomer reflects on the anxieties of growing up and wondering if you’re falling behind your friends on the nonexistent linear path through life.
“Half Acres” takes the post-internet sensibilities of Bon Iver’s recent work and slaps an understated jazz filter over it. Prince’s vocals are part vocoder, part falsetto and part sultry croon, eagerly moving through his range and imbuing the impressionist lyrics like “An ivory tower / I read it wrong / you and I both know” with nuance.
Tender keys guide the track through its runtime, flickering layers of bass and synthesized drums intermittently. A low-key affair, “Half Acres” builds to a lovely conclusion with warbling synths and tactile electronica overwhelming everything else during a prolonged fadeout.
“Half Acres” is paired with a visualizer that wouldn’t feel out of place in an experimental video art installation. Multiple screens show glitching landscapes and mediated fonts typing the lyrics in helix shapes. Here’s what Prince says about the video:
