Sam Rappaport taps into the softer sounds of the 1970s with “Journeyman’s Ballet.”

A Brooklyn-based piano player, Sam Rappaport decided to start his solo career this year. Rappaport co-fronts the indie-rock band Gooseberry, whose blend of indie rock and blues has helped them make a name of their own in New York. Rappaport‘s solo stuff is a completely different proposition, though. There is no indie rock slacking here. His songs are focused and to the point, the no-frills instrumentation clean and precise.

Earlier this year, Rappaport released “Till the Morning Comes”, a piano-led ballad reminiscent of Norah Jones or Tori Amos. It hasn’t taken him long to do a 180. With his new single “Journeyman’s Ballet”, the artist channels the smooth, light tones of yacht rock, placing an emphasis on groovy basslines without neglecting a sense of melody. Following a traveler’s descent into isolation, it’s a song that could have been recorded in the 1970s and kept sealed off till now. To take over production duties, Sam Rappaport recruited Daniel Álvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz from the band TOLEDO, who specialise in the sort of laid-back pop that “Journeyman’s Ballet” is tapping into. Keep sailing the yacht rock boat, Rappaport!