I saw Pat Grossi, aka Active Child, a few times in concert, and I found his mix of ethereal vocals and harp-driven synth-pop totally fascinating even though I was quite skeptical at first. You certainly can't held against him that he is trying something totally original, even though his sound may remind you a little bit of James Blake minus the R&B vibe or Bon Iver minus the pretentiousness.
One of his new songs, ‘Evening Ceremony’, was picked for the soundtrack of the recently released teen drama ‘The Host’, after a book written by Stephanie Meyer of Twilight series fame, and knowing about the success of the series, I would say that it’s certainly a very good thing for Grossi!
The song showcases everything I remember about his performances, meditative electronic soundscapes populated by his subtle harp and angelic falsetto voice, slowly sprawling, with glitches of electronics cascading and sparkling with a rare serenity, despite the heartbreaking line starting the song: ‘Even if I wanted to love you, would you love me?/ Even if I wanted to fall for you, would you fall for me?’
If you are already a fan, you will love it, otherwise, listen to it below: