NPR Song Of The Day: White Flight, ‘Pastora Divine’

White Flight's album is out now.
White Flight’s album is out now.

Here’s a short thing on “Pastora Divine” — a song by a local hometown musician from Lawrence, Kansas, White Flight, for NPR’s Song of the Day. Read the piece and listen to the song.

Finding Songs Amid Clutter and Chaos

“Pastora Divine” by White Flight

White Flight, a.k.a. Justin Roelofs, is all about deconstructing the pop-music form: His esoteric new self-titled album, while showcasing his remarkable instrumental prowess, also sounds largely experimental. Roelofs tinkers with a wide range of sounds, complementing freak folk and psychedelic rock with hip-hop beats and soul and jazz harmonies. It feels as if he’s discovering songs amid the amorphous clutter and chaos, almost by accident.

The sprightly “Pastora Divine” swirls and switches between electric dissonance and a melody worthy of a singalong. Though Roelofs’ often unintelligibly wails and wallows, he’s backed by a string of ’60s-pop sounds — complete with “la la la” choruses — that channel Wolf Parade’s off-key vocals and TV on the Radio’s sonic experiments. Through the varied movements, genres mash together with bursts of wah-wah guitars and clanging pianos. Just as the song begins its fade, a screaming note lingers into a cheerful vamp that should leave listeners humming long after it breaks apart.

2 thoughts on “NPR Song Of The Day: White Flight, ‘Pastora Divine’”

  1. I think I know that guy.

    He looks extremely similar to a guy I met in Mexico whose name was Justin and who was from Lawrence, who also said he was a musician–actually, I think he played in the plaza in San Cris.

    I wonder if that’s him. Do you happen to have any of his contact info?

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