Paul Thomas Zito of Pittsburgh is a particular stand-out DIY musician for us this week in the cafe, and we’re thinking may very well be for others too. From his new album, Darker Sea, Lighter Sleep, Zito recently sent us two singles.
While both tracks are fine songs, our favorite is “Cluster of String,” a sparkling composition oozing with warm, tropical-like synth melodies and soaring, echoey vocals – a perfect song for a sunny gold, blue-sky late summer afternoon. After a few spins of “Cluster of String,” it was clear we were hearing perhaps one of the best DIY artists on IRC this summer. That declaration was greatly enhanced by the second track Zito submitted.
“Cluster of Spring” – Paul Thomas Zito from Darker Sea, Lighter Sleep – Sept. 1st
“Bag” features steady, mechanical drum beats, waves of electronic dream pop that radiates layers of lush instrumentation, high-pitched synth keys and sound effects, of reverb, and vocals that evolve from melodic to harmonic while maintaining a cohesive confluence. That’s not an easy thing to pull off, and that’s another reason we picked Zito for this latest edition of the DIY Artist of the Week.
“Bag” – Paul Thomas Zito from Darker Sea, Lighter Sleep
Zito has been writing and recording his own music since 2004, and Darker Sea, Lighter Sleep is his first release since 2009. He told IRC: “I’ve been making music for about eight years now…[switching] between folk and electronic…I recently started getting into, what I call, ‘reinvention 80’s dream pop.’ It opened up something in my mind, and I’ve been trying to recreate that feeling ever since.”
We think he’s on to something.
The other two songs from the EP are available for purchase via his Bandcamp page