In true Mount Moriah fashion I simply forgot to post this Canadian duo. New Look’s roots are from our friendly neighbor to the north. Their debut album makes its way to us by way of Brooklyn, Berlin, and Canada. Sara Ruba and her husbad Adam Pavao have fashioned one of the best synth-pop tracks of the year. It’s dark, a little melancholic, and all very catchy. Recently they opened for and toured with The XX. To use a comparison from Paul Lester, New Look’s “The Ballad” reminds me of a post-dub step Frank Ocean solo project. (Of OFWGKTA fame.)

Miss Ruba, a part time model, met her husband while he was playing a gig in a biker bar. It was their mutual love for music that brought them together and in true hipster fashion it was love at first song recorded.  Now Sara tinkers with the synth and adds vocals while Adam creates the beat. Sara says, “We try not to keep anything superfluous in our songs. We’re always conscious of the negative space in our music and that’s a constant theme.” That all sounds very James Blake. Which of course, to me, is not a bad thing. Their self titled debut album actually releases today in the states.

My wish for New Look is to team up with The Weeknd and get Drake to sprinkle a verse or two on top. A canadian trio spanning across, dub step, synth pop, rap, R&B, and jazz. If this can’t happen then perhaps Xaphoon can get on this for me. Thank you.

“The Ballad” in cloud form.

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