The Sandwitches

Naivete and splattered paint; gothic Americana and tender misfit pop; memories recorded and remembered underwater. These are the elements that comprise San Franciscan trio The Sandwitches, a band whose members are as prodigiously talented as they are prolific, having played in Sonny & the Sandwitches, Earth Girl Helen Brown, Pillars of Silence, and The Fresh & Onlys. Songwriters Grace Cooper and Heidi Alexander—who also contributed to recent releases from Kelley Stoltz, Thee Oh Sees, and The Intelligence—are cherished participants in the thriving Bay Area underground scene.

Recorded by Sic Alps’ Mike Donovan, “The Pearl” comes on the heels of a handful of eclectic releases and the acclaimed LPs How to Make Ambient Sadcake (Turn Up!, 2009) and Mrs. Jones’ Cookies (Empty Cellar, 2011). The Sandwitches have been praised for their “nuanced sense of dynamics” (Pitchfork) and melding of “lush vocal harmonies with warm splashes of rustic guitar jangle and easy groove drum patterns” (Reviler). Their latest sounds are at once both strange and welcoming, thanks to strummed guitar, simple drums, and unique vocal phrasing. Expect tempered echo chamber delay on one side and incredible, parabolic falsettos on the flip. Instantly memorable but hard to describe, “The Pearl” is a testament to the Sandwitches’ unbeatable spell-casting abilities.