As Nourished by Time, the London-based, Baltimore-raised singer and producer Marcus Brown brought a world of implication to an ordinary phrase (“falling in love…”) on Yaeji‘s With A Hammer, lending his gorgeously poised vocals to the album standout “Happy.” You can hear that same depth of feeling gracing “The Fields,” the latest single from his debut album, Erotic Probiotic 2. The lyrics are essentially a laundry list of laments about consumerism, capitalism, and organized religion, and coming from another artist, they might probably sound stiff or scolding. But Brown’s velvet-cloaked midrange is tinged with relatable melancholy. He’s no preacher or moralist, just a sensitive soul striving to maintain his dignity in a world of everyday abasement. “Once or twice I prayed to Jesus/Never heard a word back in plain English,” he sighs, dreamy bits of wispy synth like passing clouds overhead.
