NYC immigrant punk Boris Pelekh gives listeners an upfront and personal look at spiritual awakening on his debut solo EP, I See It Now (out June 24), a collection of gentle indie-folk meditations with psychedelic undertones, soul-baring vocals and intimate incantations of love restored.
A seasoned veteran of the New York music scene and ace guitarist for Gogol Bordello, Pelekh has toured around the world, sharing stages with iconic artists spanning from Aretha Franklin to Philip Glass to Wu-Tang Clan, a clear breadth of connections indicative of his life’s work.
Pelekh’s new EP sounds much more at peace and introspective than the over-the-top art-rock composition that he’s become known for with his band Hey Guy. His flexible indie-folk stylings capture a new quiet in his life, even as he sifts through the difficult tropes of heartbreak, isolated ruins, and eventually, ego death.
I See It Now centers around Pelekh’s stylish fingerpicking on acoustic guitar and equal parts tender and surreal vocals. Jason Binnick – multi-instrumentalist and the EP’s co-producer – adds extra warmth and texture with steel guitar, strings and synths, captured through intimate production.
These new songs reflect the beauty and pain experienced on the journey of profound transformation. Just before birthing the EP, Pelekh had found himself locked down amidst a global pandemic while going through a breakup with a long-term partner.
“I was feeling very depressed and sort of deranged at the time,” says Pelekh. “I needed to change my setting and begin the next phase of my life. I somehow landed in Guatemala, after a random catchup with an old friend who had recently visited there. I was drawn there instantly despite having very little info on the destination.”
Glide is premiering the existentialist jewel titled “I See It Now,” which displays a minimalist approach to reflection that takes a dap or hush folk mixed with emo vulnerability. Pelekh hones the quiet interplay of Ben Gibbard at his most intimate while cascading a new band of quiet vocal strength.
“The song represents the finality of the emotional rollercoaster that the EP takes the listener through. In this stage, the protagonist is uncontrollably drawn to this mystical land which he knows nothing about, but sees perfect purpose in traveling to. In this place, he finds inner peace and love after a long time of calling it in. “It still bewilders me, sometime later, that this happened to me in such a storybook way, and it further affirms my belief in collective consciousness and soul connection,” says Pelekh.
