Eskimo and Sons have recently announced their open-ended retreat from the public eye and, as their debut EP proves, this is bad news for Northwest audiophiles. Integral members of Portland’s Boygorilla record label/music collective, Eskimo and Sons have spent the past year executing the impressive task of enrapturing basement show crowds with nuance rather than volume. The kinetic hush of their performance comes through in resounding fashion on How Does It Feel? as the eight-piece ensemble, anchored by the angelic tremolo of lead singer Danielle Sullivan, glowers and stomps its way through a variety of nocturnal folk landscapes. Experts in utilizing minimal flourishes to maximum effect, the band employs everything from Moog to sousaphone in forming tonal cushions for Sullivan’s crystalline rasp. Steeped in such succulent nuance, How Does It Feel? is one of the best Northwest releases of the year thus far, and if we have any luck whatsoever it won’t be the swan song of these young folk acolytes.

Standout tracks: “2012,” “The Blizzard”