“Tied to the Mast” by Sholto

According to the bio on his Bandcamp page, Oscar Robertson (aka, Sholto) grew up with “a love for jazz, soul, krautrock and 60s & 70s soundtracks.” That all certainly bears out on his latest album, The Sirens. Its twelve tracks are all lush affairs filled with swoon-inducing string and flute arrangements, rich production, and deep grooves that recall trip-hop’s ’90s heyday.

As befitting its title, The Sirens is an intoxicating affair from start to finish, an absolute must-hear for fans of orchestral pop composers like Sven Wunder. It all flows together so well, it might be hard to pick a highlight, but “Tied to the Mast” — an instrumental inspired by the tale of Odysseus resisting the sirens’ otherworldly call — always grabs my attention as soon as the beat kicks in. Sholto’s nod-worthy rhythms bolster Clementine Brown and Sebrina Lambert Rose’s swirling strings and Rachel Kitchlew’s shimmering harp notes, with the result being one siren call you don’t want to resist, but rather, give yourself over to completely.

The Sirens is currently available via DeepMatter Records.