New Buffalo: The Last Beautiful Day

New Buffalo: The Last Beautiful Day

Former solo artist finds niche with subdued indie release

From the opening shuffle and sampled strings of Sally Seltmann’s debut album as New Buffalo, one presumes this might be indie rock’s version of adult contemporary.Fortunately, her childlike vocals and cut-and-paste arrangements help alleviate some of these fears. Although Beth Orton and the Dirty Three’s Jim White stop by to lend some help, Seltmann plays almost all the instruments on her orchestral, almost-show-tuney picture songs, full of swells and valleys of emotion and tone. Still, the record—a statement of jazz samples and swirling keyboards—feels like a truly personal affair.

 
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