Washed away bedroom pop environments, melancholic synths, sad stories, and a lot of passion poured into 2 musical sketches that form the stunning debut of Club Solitaire.
Based in Moorestown, New Jersey, Club Solitaire is the solo music act of 21 year old college student Zachary Kowalski who has kept his music making desires -and abilities- a secret from his family as he honed his knowledge enough to debut with grace in his 2-song EP ‘Silent Exit’.
Zachary chose the name Club Solitaire to reflect the feeling of being surrounded by people but continuing to feel alone in spite of that, a feeling that somehow translates into both his songs. Created to tell a story of Kowalski’s latest unfruitful relationship, the EP’s 2 songs are fluttery and airy, each concerned with a specific phase of that relationship.
We have the first cut ‘Fine Dining’ that introduces us to the sound of Club Solitaire, which comes across as heavily inspired by sensational French duo Beach House. The song’s minimalistic composition and arrangement, built on 2 chords in a perpetual cycle, surrounded by a swirl of breezy synths that play a lilting melody that gets occasionally interrupted by quieter verses. Lyrically, the song talks about the earlier stages of a romantic interest when the parties involved tend to play to impress each other, often resulting in not-so-honest situations. The second cut is the more somber ‘Mental Pictures’. A song about the recollection about the what-ifs after a relationship comes to an end. A reflective song with another minimal composition and sincere-sounding vocals that mirror the earlier releases of Beach House.
Silent Exit is a charismatic debut that introduces a fresh face to the scene. Zachary Kowalski is self taught and carries a ton of potential for more nuanced releases in the future. The debut is warm and lush and well thought out, as well as well worth the time.