In his own mind, Rudy Stone, the solo project of Andy Plovnik,  initially stemmed from realising the absurdity of life in his home of Long Island City. He set about trying to find a way of translating this realisation into music, and soon stumbled upon a sound far removed from his other musical projects. Some five years since that moment of clarity, the debut Rudy Stone album, The Blinking Light/Peace on Earth, is set for release, and today we’re premiering the latest single from it, Near Me.

Near Me is an intriguing offering, it nods in equal measure to the psychedelic offerings of The Byrds and the more experimental end of early punk perfected by Magazine. The whole thing is given a crisp modern production, as perfectly judged wobbly guitar lines are interspersed by breezy percussion, and swirling, enigmatic organs. Lyrically it’s a slightly unsure love letter, as Andy sings, “you were nearly perfect, I was almost myself” and latterly he comes to the somewhat unsure conclusion, “all I want is for you to be near me, when you’re by my side I can see so clearly”. Whilst this is in some ways an introduction to a new songwriting talent, it’s one that is every bit as perfectly judged as you’d expect from someone who’s taken their time to perfect their craft.

As the title would suggest, the debut Rudy Stone album is a record of two halves. The A-side consisting of a series of songs, while the intriguing B-side, is, in his own words, “a side-long instrumental reflecting his long time interest in analog synthesizers, echo devices, and drones”. The record marks the first chapter in this most fascinating of new musical talents; with this much ambition and this many ideas, don’t expect it to be the last.

The Blinking Light/Peace on Earth is out June 16th via Moderate Fidelity. Click HERE for more information on Rudy Stone.