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In Cautious Clay's 'Stolen Moments,' A Lament Crooned Too Late

Cautious Clay.
Dean Luis
/
Courtesy of the artist
Cautious Clay.

"Stolen Moments," the latest single from nascent Brooklyn poly-instrumentalist and singer Cautious Clay (neé Josh Karpeh), is a stunning, hushed lament that plays out like a lovers' quarrel about commitment (or lack thereof) that's still reeling long after the last words have been thrown.

Clay has his talking points laid out one by one ("I think that loneliness would serve us well," "I'm so afraid of intimacy," "No love is perfect for me,"), cooing them over a hazy reflection pool of guitar plucking and blue saxophone hits. But his lines, wavering and progressively more and more pleading, resonate with a thud — the morning-after recall of a night filled with barbed quips and harsh jabs. By the last guitar strums, it's clear: "Stolen Moments" is a luxurious kiss-off told a day too late.


Cautious Clay's Blood Type EP will be reissued with "Stolen Moments" on April 13.

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