Arthur and Yu Camera

Arthur & Yu make lovers’ music — music that draws you close and holds you tight. Yet the Seattle duo, made up of Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott (Arthur and Yu are their childhood nicknames) met through an online classified ad, which seems a rather impersonal meeting for individuals making such intimate sounds. However, no awkwardness intrudes upon Arthur & Yu’s debut, In Camera. With a hazy pop folk sound, their record glides back and forth at a relaxed pace, at times evoking M. Ward’s country ramblings or the Velvet Underground’s rhythmic guitar patterns. But mostly, the disc has a Nancy & Lee sort of vibe due to the sensual vocal interplay. On tracks like "The Ghost of Old Bull Lee” and "Lion’s Mouth,” Olsen’s nasally drawl takes the lead while Westcott’s harmonies float below, making the lyrics sound more like sweet nothings than the words of recent strangers. Now, whether the two are in fact a couple has yet to be confirmed but In Camera sure makes a convincing case, not to mention a good listen. (Hardly Art)

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