Angelo De Augustine’s new single Santa Barbara sees the California-based songwriter collaborating with Sufjan Stevens on this delicate and warm melody that embraces sounds of spring blossom and long evenings. It starts of sparse and gently beguiling, before breaking into shimmering vocals and lush instrumentation. Hope, pain, happiness, sadness all interlink as he explores the intersection of emotions through a musical lens. Lyrical tenderness mixes with introspection, as he asks ‘who says life’s not a risk?’ Like last yea’s studio album Tomb, there’s a sense of complexity and abandonment to the tune, but it never feels overly wallowing or naval gazing.
‘Santa Barbara touches on the uncertainties and realities of being mortal in the landscape that we view through our experience,’ says Angelo, ‘Displaying ghostly apparitions, love, death, and a famous British novelist. It was a good experience to record this song with my friend Sufjan. I look forward to sharing more soon.’