Jesse Payne

Synesthesia is a mental condition wherein the patient's senses are muddled: they see musical notes in colour or taste words. Jesse Payne is a visual artist and musician who claims to "paint sonic landscapes." I don't know if Payne experiences Synesthesia, but his music suggests he might. As a follow-up to his 2010 debut album, Nesting, Jesse Payne has put together a four-track EP entitled Buffalo. Every one of the tracks on this short but sweet EP is absolutely beautiful. "Annual Weathering" features a vocal harmony that strongly recalls the Fleet Foxes. "Colorado" is a cold, foreboding track with a mood that brings to mind the stoic, grey Rocky Mountains themselves. The EP's ethereal feel is a direct result of the band's post-modern, self-referential folk inclinations. Despite the group's high-minded meta philosophy towards the musical process, the final product makes for a gorgeous listen.