Baby Condor Soars on a Sun-Kissed, Soulful Debut EP

Photo Credit: Daniëlle Weener

Dutch brothers Nolle and Beinte Groen announce themselves with Baby Condor, a self-titled debut EP that blends analogue warmth, intricate harmonies, and cinematic songwriting into a sun-drenched, reflective journey. Anchored by the lead single “Dreaming of the Day”, the six-track collection unfolds like a road trip across American highways, coastal roads, and canyon evenings, melancholy and hope colliding in equal measure.

Crafted in their hand-soldered Mermaid Studio, a pandemic-born shed turned creative sanctuary, Baby Condor is a testament to patient, hands-on artistry. The duo handles nearly every instrument and production element themselves, layering real drums, strings, pedal steel, and brass to create a lush, orchestral sound that nods to classic influences like James Taylor, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, and Marvin Gaye, while maintaining a contemporary sensibility reminiscent of Jonathan Wilson, Michael Kiwanuka, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

“Dreaming of the Day” serves as the emotional nucleus of the record, a melancholic yet dreamy meditation on relationships fading from intensity into routine, with a bridge and chorus that linger long after the song ends. Other tracks, such as Backcountry Towns and Seventeen, combine gentle instrumentation with vivid storytelling, exploring themes of human connection, memory, and self-discovery. Lifetime Come & Gone meditates on loss with strings and jazzy flugelhorn, while Saw You in a Song offers a blues-tinged tale of realisation and moving on. The EP closes with Silver Stereo, a soulful anthem reflecting on music as an art form, celebrating craft over commodification.

Throughout the EP, Baby Condor proves that analogue textures, layered arrangements, and heartfelt songwriting remain vital in a digital age. The Groens’ careful construction, emotional honesty, and commitment to musical craft make Baby Condor a debut that feels timeless yet fresh, a record built to be listened to slowly, savoured, and returned to again and again.

This is a promising start for the project, one that honours the past while speaking clearly to the present.

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