Baba Stiltz – Paid Testimony

For the last 15 years, Baba Stlitz has primarily been known as an electronic artist, but with his 2022 tape release Baba Stiltz in LA, he turned to the blues and American-primitive guitar concepts as essential road maps. His latest, Paid Testimony, focuses in on another corner of the American musical mythos, blending alt-country, subtle-psych, and a slacker-turned-poet approach to songwriting. Baba builds worlds using downtrodden characters who seemingly weather their unfortunate scenarios with a little wry humor. “Sacramento” and “Stockholm” act as backward love letters to two of his hometowns. “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory” sways back and forth beautifully before landing on a fist pumping Silver Jews-style chorus. “Running to Chris” is a wonderfully crass tune that one can oddly imagine Lucinda Williams singing. “Paid Testimony” is a hidden gem for those who grew up loving the more vulnerable zones of the indie rock spectrum.

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