Photo by John Sturdy
Ultimate Painting’s methodical aesthetic shows in everything the London band does. The name is taken from a work of art by Drop City, a ’60s commune that, true to its name, dropped out of society to create something new and different in Colorado. The band members of Ultimate Painting have found their own world too. “Up to now we’ve only ever recorded in the autumn, that’s how it’s gone so far,” guitarist and singer Jack Cooper said earlier this year. “Every day we meet up, get coffee, walk through the park, come back and start working.”
That contemplative vibe shows in Dusk, Ultimate Painting’s third album. On “Bills,” the rhythm is driving and repetitive, and the subject matter is necessarily anxious. The band plays it cool, its hushed melody recalling Yo La Tengo’s chiller moments. The song builds and builds like bills piling up on a table, but the musicians prop each other up, riding off into the dusk.
“Bills” appears on Dusk, out now. Ultimate Painting plays tonight at Barracuda.
–Art Levy // host, Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., producer, My KUTX
