Eerie Gaits - Holopaw (2020)

While you might know John Ross as the frontman of Wild Pink, he’s also got quite an impressive body of solo work under the moniker Eerie Gaits. After releasing two EPs, his dreamy full-length debut, 2017’s Bridge Music, floored us. He turned back to Wild Pink for a while afterwards, for the stunning Yolk In The Fur in 2018 — one of the best albums of that year — and the 5 Songs EP last March. But now, Ross is ready to delve back into solo territory. Today, he is announcing the latest Eerie Gaits album, which is called Holopaw. The name is taken from a town that Ross grew up near.

To sweeten the announcement, Ross is sharing the album’s excellent lead single. “What’s Eating You” falls in the same ambient indie rock vibe that much of his work has traversed. It’s a bit more Wild Pink-like than anything else we’ve heard from Ross’s solo endeavors. Grounded by a plucky bassline and glimmering guitars but incorporating some roomy drums and zig-zagging synths, everything comes together here for a blissful effect. The track concludes with some atmospheric crickets and birds as the synth melody evaporates into a warbling ruckus.