Cassorla – “Bona Fide” (Feat. Aubrey Plaza) (Stereogum Premiere)

Cassorla – “Bona Fide” (Feat. Aubrey Plaza) (Stereogum Premiere)

Ben Cassorla has a background in jazz — you could connect him to Thelonious Monk with only one step in a musical Kevin Bacon game — and he’s played guitar in the touring band for everyone from Slick Rick to Washed Out to Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros. He’s a true sonic renaissance man, which explains why the airy, reverb-inflected indie-pop on his upcoming Amigos EP feels impossible to pin down even as it sounds innately familiar. The self-released project’s long guest list (hence the title) includes members of Americana-tinged rock bands Blitzen Trapper, Dawes, and the Magnetic Zeros, but the most intriguing line on the tracklist is “Bona Fide,” which features Parks And Recreation/Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World/The To Do List actress Aubrey Plaza on sax. The song is built around an insistent high-range guitar part that would fit nicely on the first Vampire Weekend album, but it’s a little dreamier than that, with an easy falsetto chorus befitting the Ariel Pink/Jorge Elbrecht school of yacht rock. As for Plaza, she doesn’t play the sax as masterfully as she plays April Ludgate, but her blurts blend beautifully with the flashy keyboard solo that lends “Bona Fide” its zest. Listen below.

Cassorla – “Bona Fide” (Feat. Aubrey Plaza)

Amigos is out 2/4/14.

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