when you run away, do you close your eyes

Released in 2022, 'when you run away, do you close your eyes' represents a refined continuation of Mitch Welling's work as Flatsound. While earlier releases leaned heavily into the 'bedroom pop' and 'lo-fi hip-hop' aesthetics of the mid-2010s, this album leans further into a minimalist folk and slowcore sensibility. The recording context is palpably intimate, utilizing high-gain vocal capture and tape-saturated instrumentation to create a 'dry' sound that places the listener inches away from the performer. Critical reception for the album highlights its ability to maintain a consistent emotional temperature across its eight tracks, avoiding the erratic shifts of his more experimental ambient works. The inclusion of specific geographic and temporal markers, such as 'carlsbad ca, 2006', suggests a semi-autobiographical narrative arc focused on the processing of long-term memory and the passage of time. It stands as one of the most cohesive and sonically focused entries in the Flatsound catalog.