Ears Wide Open: Hether

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Hether (Photo by Joaquin Bartra)

Hether is the musical sleeve on which singer-songwriter Paul Castelluzzo wears his heart. The 25-year-old San Diego native first earned attention by posting guitar videos to YouTube and Instagram before getting noticed by producer Rodney Jerkins, which led to various touring gigs and collaborations.

Castelluzzo debuted his solo project with the lo-fi and seemingly unassuming EP “Hether Who?” in 2019, but after a celebrity endorsed the single “When U Loved Me” on social media, there was a sudden flood of attention.

Hether’s new release, “Sticky Thumb,” out today, is an incrementally more polished affair, throwing off warm ’60s and ’70s vibes. A little bit psych- and surf-pop and a little white soul circa early ’70s, “Twinkle” and “Sex Wax” ooze with the sentiments of a lovelorn protagonist you imagine is alone in his bedroom spilling his guts out to a microphone. It’s a treat to listen in.

||| Stream: “Twinkle” and “Sex Wax”

||| Also: Stream the EP in its entirety