Listen to “Clover,” a new song from Philly’s Bad Braids (playing Ladyfest benefit 4/20, tour kickoff 4/27, album out 5/1)

Haunting indie-folk project Bad Braids is releasing its latest long player, Supreme Parallel, this spring via Haute Magie Records, and this a handful of new songs appeared on the label’s website to tease the full set.

“Clover” begins spare and spacious, very akin to the vibe the band had when it appeared on Folkadelphia last autumn, or when it performed for Out of Town Films in a bathtub at Germantown’s Rigby Mansion. Singer-guitarist Megan Biscieglia plays a minor key guitar line, multi-instrumentalist Mike Bruno creates a humming ambient underbelly. But as the song progresses, new textures are introduced – uplifting vocal harmonies, a chord change into a loosely poppy refrain. The song is at once distant and deeply introverted, yet a warm and expressive spiritual journey – “Hopes make you later, dreams take you farther from the sun, I’ll guide you somewhere.” The intensity builds as the fervent drumming and tambourine comes in, concluding in some nether-realm between Kate Bush and Bonnie “Prince” Billy.

Look for the entire LP to be released on Haute Magie on May 1st. Bad Braids has two local shows of note this month; on April 20th, it plays the Ladyfest Philly benefit at Little Berlin, and on April 27th it returns to Rigby Mansion for a joint record release / tour kickoff show with Mary Lattimore. Listen to “Clover” below.