RADAR: Night Beds

Winston Yellen is the creative mastermind behind -- or is that under -- Night Beds, a loose  Nashville-based collective that specializes in impressionistic and folk-centric alt-pop that, as the name would suggest, has a dreamily surreal quality. Newly signed to highly-regarded indie label Dean Oceans, Night Beds conjure up songs blessed with the magical and mystical, Yellen's voice a wonder of tender tenor-to-falsetto choir boy out amongst the wide open stretches of spacious Americana, a chameleon-like performer who taps into the ethereal netherworlds of Jeff Buckley and Gram Parsons while forging his own distinctive sound. February '13 debut full-length Country Sleep, recorded in a home once occupied by Johnny and June Carter cash, has a nocturnal feel beyond the title with most songs written at night and, says Yellen, drawing their breath from “destructive circumstances, and many varied attempts to sedate myself". Lead track "Even If We Try" sets the mood nicely as a sweet and sweeping lullaby merged with a chamber pop production while "Ramona", here in a "live in the studio take" is a little sleepier than the studio original but casts its own bittersweet spell.

Night Beds - "Even If We Try" (from Country Sleep)

Night Beds - "Ramona" (from Country Sleep, performed live at KDHX)