Within the shallow waters of the pastel-coated ambient/house oasis known as Coastal Haze lies the friendly sounds of artist Pool Boy. Released on the label’s Bandcamp page back in January, Pool Boy LP had been an extended sunlit hand of escapism and warmth through that last little stretch of a dark winter.
Pool Boy LP opens with the slow ambient warmth of “Empty Buffet”, the song that originally grabbed our attention. A track soaked in seaside textures, a distant smooth saxophone, and drowning arpeggiated pluck accents.
From here the album ventures through an island of laid back house with a few downtempo encounters, never straying from the path but briefly slowing down to enjoy the sights and sounds.
One more fun tid: “Overcast” uses what sounds like a classic Roland CR-78 machine, but I’m not quite sure. If so, it is a perfect fit. The CR-78 is perhaps one of the most playful, youthful sounding drum machines to exist. It absolutely enhances the calmness and friendliness of the song. What a lovely album.
