Pitchfork

According to its publicist, "sad-rock" outfit Idaho is scheduled to release its sixth full-length, Levitate, on October 2nd. Last year's LP, Hearts of Palm, was superb; Idaho founder Jeff Martin's songs took a sparse, delicate turn, proving a perfect vehicle for his melancholy lyrics. Even more notable than the songwriting, however, was the production quality. The subtle palette of guitars, piano, and vocal harmonies helped deliver a poignant emotional intensity. The new album is described as "a lot sparser" than Hearts of Palm, a comment which is hard to believe. Martin wrote and performed all of the songs himself, with the exception of some drum tracks. Levitate is the second Idaho album to be released on Martin's own label, Idaho Music.