4 years ago, Portland, Oregon musician Andy Fish released an acoustic, nostalgic EP (Trouble In the Tea Leaves) centered around the mercurial aspects of love. In 2013, “Until the Sun Explodes” continues down a similarly moody path. Only this time, the guitar and violin are replaced with drum loops, synths and shape-shifted samples. The songs weave woozily from one to the next like an adventure-junkie crawling through caves, star-gazing in deserts and lounging in secret party dens. Sometimes the journey is set to the catchy boom-bap of an 808, other times to the ominous pulse of a beating heart. Fish covers a lot of topical ground here, almost an aerial overview of the human condition: the challenges of intimacy (Easy on the Other), addiction (Masquerade), greed & excess (Gold Dust Boneyard), loss (Saudade) and spirituality (Small Blue Thing). Throughout the cinematic maze, Fish’s haunting vocals create a surreal aesthetic that's somber yet pretty, a downtempo lover's treat. UTSE operates on a visceral level, like that of a multi-exposed image that touches on shared experience although it's not always clear why.

The album's 8 tracks also serve as a soundtrack to a film photography series. The 8 photos, each paired with a song on the album, will be available at the release party in Portland, OR at the Graeter Art Gallery on May 18th. The photos are printed to metal and can be viewed here: silkandolive.tumblr.com.