Seattle-based singer-songwriter Grant Olsen, best-known as half of the folk duo Arthur & Yu, is making his return not with the second Arthur & Yu record, but with a new project called Gold Leaves. His debut release The Ornament has been four years in the making, accompanying Olsen through a wide range of new experiences: marriage, traveling through Central and South America, birth, and death. Linking up with producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Jason Quever of Papercuts, Olsen created a collection of intimate, heart-warming tracks, blending Americana with ’60s pop influences. You can listen to two songs, “Cruel/Kind” and “The Ornament”, below. The album will be out on August 16 via Hardly Art (tracklisting after the break).

MP3: Gold Leaves – “Cruel/Kind”

MP3: Gold Leaves – “The Ornament”

[Via Stereogum]

The Ornament Tracklisting:
01. The Silver Lining
02. The Ornament
03. Endless Dope
04. Hanging Window
05. Cruel & Kind
06. Honeymoon
07. Hard Feelings
08. The Companion
09. Futures

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