Hovvdy – “Portrait”

Hovvdy have been hitting us with a lot of new singles lately, all of them accenting the Austin duo’s woozy, amniotic slowcore with sample-based electronic elements. First came “Jean,” then “Bubba.” And now, on Boxing Day, they’ve given us the warm and tender “Portrait.” This one’s a little bit Pinegrove, a little bit John Mayer, except surreal and holographic in a way that doesn’t really apply to either of those artists — so maybe some late Bon Iver in there too? “Your eyes are talking/ And they don’t seem fine to me,” goes the chorus. “May as well be walking away/ With your eyes turned from me.” Whatever the slide guitar or lap steel is doing in there is working wonders. Listen below.