Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. This week is a special late edition – because we thought you might need something to help you slow your heart rate back to normal after a gruelling US election cycle.
When it comes to US elections, a lot of people used to say things like “who cares? We’re in Australia, not the US” but I think we’ve all woken up to ourselves now. The US is a world power – the world power, depending on who you ask – and hoo boy does Australia in particular love sucking up to it or what. We basically do whatever the flip they tell us to, which hasn’t always worked out awesome in the past.
This election has literally been absolutely batshit crazy. Serious scandals at every turn, a mouldy cheeto with hair running for President, a Very Cool Grandpa Who We Miss Very Much… whatever the result ends up being of this election, we’re all going to need a tallie and a chance to put our feet up because it’s over. I mean, it’s not actually over because the world feels very much like it’s on a tipping point, and whoever becomes President is going to have some tough choices to make, but hey! At least the circus is done for now. Democracy will have done its job again. Maybe. Again – depends on who you ask. At the time of publishing, Trump is leading, and that is 100% horrifying. One thing that appears certain is that most people are feeling pretty on edge about the state of global affairs. Hopefully, this playlist will help.
The Smith Street Band – Death To The Lads
The US Election really brought some horrifying rhetoric to the global discourse, the height of which culminated in Trump’s disgusting “grab her” comments and the widespread justifications of his remarks as just being what men do. To that we say a big, fat, resounding “nah”. Men are not rabid sex-driven animals incapable of empathy and respect. They’re complex human beings like anyone else, although they often unfortunately grow up in a culture that validates a “boys will be boys” philosophy, absolving them of accountability to their actions. That needs challenging, and for that to happen, more people need to speak up. Smithies have always been great at doing this. In a time where very stupid terrible people seem to be everywhere, it’s a comfort to be reminded that there are still people who are willing and able to call out shitty behaviour and attitudes where they exist.
Alabama Shakes – Hold On
Much and all as this song is about a personal struggle, the pervading sense of pulling through troubling times with a hardened resolve is pretty universal. And endlessly relevant to how we’ve all (mostly) felt over the past nigh-on-two years; just keep your head down and wait for this sh*tfight to be over. And bless your heart, bless your soul – now it is. This track is your private, if slightly grim, celebration of all things fatalistic and inevitable. Take stock of what’s past and prepare for a hell of a lot more holding on in the years to come, because this ride is about to get real bumpy. Thankfully, shouting along with Brittany Howard is a tried-and-true method of expelling demons from your soul, and you’re going to feel muuuuuch better about how this all played out after you do. Probably. For at least like, a couple seconds before reality sets back in.
Brian Eno – 1/1
This song, off Eno’s gorgeous, understated Music For Airports release, is literally just twenty minutes of pure, escapist bliss. It’s like a portal to another world, a peaceful, serene place where nothing bad ever happens and rich people don’t rule the world because nothing matters except lovely sounds. It’s extremely minimalist – consisting mainly of a recurring piano motif that evolves slowly, adorned by soothing embellishments – but that’s the beauty of it. The use of space encourages a safe, quieted mind, which is something we all need from time to time. Best enjoyed alone, with your eyes closed.
Kendrick Lamar – Alright
Before I go any further here, let me clarify that I’m not implying that whoever wins the election doesn’t have the capacity to do the people of America – specifically African Americans – great harm. And I’m also not implying that I, a white girl from Australia, am qualified to say who would be “better” for those people, either. Although I personally abhor Trump and know that by and large he doesn’t have vast amounts of African American supporters, Clinton has done and said awful things to/about African Americans in the past, so I get why mistrust may exist there. But I think I would be remiss to not include this song, which I know is not “for” me, but carries a very important sentiment and lord f*cking knows the visibility of struggles unique to PoC is completely essential to change.
Cloud Nothings – I’m Not Part Of Me
If you don’t agree with the outcome of the election, feel that the choice was between two people you actively mistrust, or even if you’re just feeling defiant about Australia’s role in the US’s military actions around the world, you’re probably feeling a bit “stop the world, I want to get off”. But you’re not alone in that – not even slightly. Cloud Nothings might look like they don’t care, with their flannos and minimal audience eye contact at gigs, but they sure know how to make an outsider feel comforted, like they’re not alone. You don’t have to be a part of what you disagree with. You can rail against it. You can push forward with a strong sense of self and stand up for what you believe is right.
Image: Deez Nuts For President
Chipotle has a fantastic marketing team. Despite whatever you may think of their fast food, they make really good ads. Often taking a swipe at industrial food processing and artificial ingredients, the cutesy animations are superbly well made. But Alex, I hear you ask, Howl and Echo isn’t a marketing blog, why are we talking about a Chipotle ad? Well, first of all, it’s Howl and Echoes and secondly, each ad features a pretty great cover of a (usually) classic song. Their most recent advertisement is no exception, with a cover of The Beach Boys‘ I Want It That Way being performed by Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes and My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James.
The ad follows two young children selling lemonade (the drink, not the album) and orange juice from competing stalls. What follows is a cautionary tale about rampant capitalism free market economics artificial ingredients and the lack of authenticity in the fast food industry, all soundtracked to the great sounds of Alabama Shakes and Jim James. The pair grow up in competition, upgrading their stalls from simple tables to buildings, to chain franchises that colour the city. In the end they discover the horrors of what their dreams have come, with horrible tasting fast food, processed en masse through machines and artificial flavours. Eventually, they remember their roots. They come together and fall in love, opening up their own family small business.
Nawww. It’s part of the same campaign as their previous ad, which saw Fiona Apple covering Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka, and was also surprisingly moving, if not exactly subtle. You can watch the latest ad below, and enjoy the sweet re-imagining of the Backstreet Boys classic.
https://youtu.be/nKleQ1MXMCs
Image: Idolator
Music’s night of nights has once again delivered the goods when it comes to performances, with a variety of acts bringing nothing less than their A-game to the table to prove why they’re nominated for such prestigious awards. One such act was none other than Alabama Shakes, who absolutely tore the roof off with their performance if Don’t Wanna Fight.
Nominated for a whopping five awards on the night (Album Of The Year, Best Alternative Album, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical), the Grammys signified the end to absolutely stellar few months since the release of their record, Sound & Colour. From that album came the incendiary Don’t Wanna Fight, a gut-wrenching, powerful number that took the band – and frontwoman Brittany Howard – from a soulful alternative band to an international powerhouse, and it was this song that they performed at the awards show.
Totally captivating from start to finish, the band moved effortlessly through the track; Howard herself making it look almost easy to go through this much heartbreak. Their intoxicating mix of soul, rock, blues and more swirl together to make some of the best songs to be released last year, so it’s no surprise at all that they took out four of the above five Grammys (Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for Don’t Wanna Fight; Best Alternative Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for Sound & Colour). You can see the performance below.
In the clip, however, is a little extra treat for those playing at home, as it also includes a tribute to the late Lemmy Kilmister, the frontman of Motorhead and total rock legend. To pay homage to the rock god that he is, Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp (aka Hollywood Vampires) were joined by Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum to perform As Bad As I Am and Motorhead’s Ace Of Spades – and were introduced by Dave Grohl.
Check out both performances below:
Image: Pitchfork
Alabama Shakes have opened up the new season of CBS’ Austin City Limits with a spectacular set. They performed six songs from their Grammy-nominated album Sound & Colour, including singles Don’t Wanna Fight and Gimme All Your Love.
Fronted by frontwoman and lead guitarist Brittany Howard, they opened their set with a roaring Future People. No banter between sets, they powered through the remaining tracks with the kind of energy usually reserved for headline shows at massive festivals. Set closer Over My Head smoothed and soothed their audience, allowing a moment to wind down from the emotional set.
As a web exclusive, they also performed mammoth psych-out track Gemini, and it’s well worth the additional six and a half minutes.
This was Alabama Shakes’ second performance on ACL – they first visited in 2012, following the release of their debut album Boys and Girls.
Watch the full episode below, which also features a performance from Vintage Trouble. Next week, tune in for their next episode devoted to the one and only, Kendrick Lamar.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8U6a9_7Zfw]
Alabama Shakes earned a place in our favourite music from 2015. Read our list of favourite singles here, and our favourite albums right here.
Appearing on this week’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Alabama Shakes blew everyone away with their rendition of their song Joe. Choosing it over the standard track listing off their current album Sound & Colour, the song has only be made available as a live version and on some editions of the band’s sophomore album. But no one could contest their choice as the band pulled off a sensational performance.
A pared down, soulful track that draws on Motown greats and a Hendrix sounding blues-rock influence, Joe loses nothing set up against some of Alabama Shakes’ belters. This performance also absolutely confirmed Brittany Howard as one of today’s greatest voices. As if we had any doubt? Pushing her electrifying vocals to a gut wrenching intensity, she was joined by gospel style backing on the choruses. With the hair raising emotion of soul and the poignancy of The Smiths, who also yearned after “what I want”, Howard and her band tore the house down with this song.
Another live recording of the track was released online immediately after their performance, available to stream through Spotify. The band are gearing up for their European tour in November, following the release of Sound & Colour earlier this year. Check out our thoughts on the album here, a phenomenal follow up to their debut. You can also catch the video below for the live performance of Joe – prepare yourself for some goosebumps.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7APKju97GJg&w=560&h=315]
While we’re still reeling from the mud-fest that was Splendour in the Grass, Lollapalooza festival (which may be coming to Australia soon, considering their parent company C3 now owns Big Day Out) kicked off this weekend in the States, and was headlined by musical heroes old and new: Paul McCartney and The Weeknd. The Kanye-collaborating ex-Beatle’s set was, by all accounts, one of the best and longest headline sets in the Chicago festival’s history – spanning more than two hours, and featuring a huge range of hits from his many legendary decades within the music world.
Among the Beatles and solo hits, one of the main highlights of McCartney’s set was the far more recent FourFiveSeconds. While neither Kanye nor Rihanna were on board to join him, he did bless his audience with one hell of a cameo from Alabama Shakes front-woman and lead guitarist Brittany Howard. Howard joined McCartney on stage for a stunning rendition of the Beatles’ stripped down classic, Get Back.
Watch FourFiveSeconds and We Can Work It Out here:
Watch Get Back here:
If you haven’t yet listened to Alabama Shakes’ most recent album Sound & Colour, we highly recommend you do so ASAP. (Read our review here to find out why we think it’s one of the best albums of 2015 so far.)
So you just read our feature on the worst songs of 2015 so far, and I know that you heard some things you can never un-hear. You might be wishing that you’d googled the crimes of a serial killer instead – it might have been less disturbing. You might have even preferred to read about this creepy thing going on in Sweden right now. But, just like that time you drank a bottle of Passion Pop and vomited all over your best friends favourite shoes, some things just can’t be undone. Turn off that Ed Sheeran track you have been listening to on repeat to heal your pain. You’re better than that. We can get through this together.
Our “worst of” list gave you six tracks, and I am a strong believer that there must be at least twice as much good in the world, so let’s look on the bright side with the 12 best songs of 2015 so far.
12. Holy Holy: You Cannot Fall For Love Like a Dog (Album: When the Storms Would Come)
Holy Holy are already making massive waves and their debut album isn’t due out until the 17th of July. If this track is anything to go by, it is going to be expansive and powerful – a crowning achievement for the Brisbane/Melbourne duo. The pair, who we interviewed last year, produce a sound that is sophisticated and effortless, with sublime melodies, amplified by driving guitars.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrVadO8BHRk]
11. The Chemical Brothers: Go ft. Q-Tip (Album: Born in the Echoes)
Daft Punk did it with their album Random Access Memories and The Chemical Brothers do it again with Go. Listeners are transported to a sleazy jaw-clenching nightclub in the best possible way -The kind of place where open chested shirts and questionable facial hair choices are not only accepted, but encouraged. And it sure as hell is better than the goddamn Salmon Dance
If it was a club from Saturday Night Live character Stefon, it would be the one called: “Thank You! Located inside a crashing blimp, this Eurotrash utopia is the creation of beatnik doctor Soul Patch Adams. This place has everything: Zip lines, fish food, that fat Hawaiian guy that no one invited, an old Pakistani woman that looks like a California Raisin…”
From album Born in the Echoes due out on July 17, I’ve got my dancing shoes ready for a marathon. Pre-order it here.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO2RPDZkY88]
10. Gang of Youths: Vital Signs (Album: The Positions)
Australian indie rock outfit Gang of Youths are just killing it with their vibrant chorale sound. They have all the weight and depth of bands like The National or Arcade Fire, but with far fewer collective years – so just imagine where they’ll end up! Vital Signs is an epic track spanning seven and a half minutes with a pulsing drumbeat and an anthemic build that reminds me of everything good about indie music. As wonderful, if not more so live than on record, make sure you get to a GoY gig as soon as you can.
9. A$AP Rocky: L$D (Album: At.Long.Last.A$AP)
To be honest, I wasn’t sure about A$AP Rocky’s latest release until I heard this track (but read our album review here to judge for yourself.) My best advice: turn it up loud. Real loud. You don’t just want to hear those sweet opening bass notes, you want to feel them right down in your toes. Overlaid with some saucy vocals from A$AP it’s enough to make a nun hot under the collar. It’s slick, smooth and surprisingly lovely. Considering it’s the only non-rap track on a sprawling rap album, we’re thinking A$AP could even consider a career move to making indie-psych music in the future. Oh, and for a stunning live rendition of this track, check this video out from A$AP’s recent performance on Jimmy Fallon’s late night talk show.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feDLr_e4v5A]
8. Torres: Sprinter (Album: Sprinter)
Torres weaves a story with her voice in a way that evokes PJ Harvey or Fiona Apple, but has a sadness that is all her own. Considering that Torres, aka Mackenzia Scott worked with PJ Harvey producer Robert Ellis and Portishead’s Adrian Utley, it’s not surprise that this is one hell of a gorgeous sound. Sprinter is a complex, emotional and enthralling track that makes you feel everything. I may be a glutton for punishment but I can’t stop listening.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6SIw30IOt8]
7. Alpine: Foolish (Album: Yuck)
The first taste of sophomore album Yuck, Foolish (which was appropriately released on April Fool’s Day) is very much the opposite. Sweet, syrupy and delicious, it’s a track that will no doubt leave you on a sugar high. Foolish sails you down a little river of good vibes and leaves you feeling toe tappingly blissful. The follow-up to their chart topping debut album A is for Alpine, Yuck officially dropped last week – purchase it here.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6I4MZUtCCo]
6. Editors: No Harm (Album TBC)
Some songs just can’t be summed up in words. I could try and say it’s like the genetic recombination of Nick Cave and James Blake but it still wouldn’t sum up the cold, dark, haunted beauty in a way that does justice. Having been around for a lot longer than other artists on this list, it’s pure bliss to see bands who can consistently release songs of this calibre, four albums and more than a decade into their musical career. Deep, rich and seriously powerful, you need to listen to this track.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/200911419″]
5. Tyler, The Creator: The Brown Stains of Darkeese Latifah Part 6-12 (Remix) (Album: Cherry Bomb)
Sometimes he can be hard to love, but when Tyler the Creator is on, he can also be hard to hate. The Odd Future ringleader, (who will be visiting our fair country later this year) just dropped his new album Cherry Bomb, and this is easily our favourite song from the release. On The Brown Stains… he is all the way on. It’s not ground breaking, sure, but it doesn’t need to be. Loud and obnoxious and raw in a way that’s really quite unique to the gravel-voiced rapper, there’s so much to love about this track.
4. Tame Impala: Cause I’m a Man (Album: Currents)
Kevin Parker and co. keep on dishing out their own brand of chill psychedelic licks that melt faces like ice cream on hot pavement. If I had to sum this track up with a picture it would look like this:
Their HIGHLY anticipated new album, Currents, is due out July 17th (the same day as the Holy Holy record, so it’s going to be a great day for Aus music!) If you need me, don’t, because I will be very much unavailable. Let’s hope that they actually see money from the sales this time. The internationally renowned psych-rockers will also be headlining July’s Splendour in the Grass, meaning that we’ll be among the first in the world to hear the new material performed live!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hefh9dFnChY]
3. Courtney Barnett: Pedestrian at Best (Album: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit)
I love our homegrown rock poet Courtney Barnett with a big heart and a healthy dose of jealousy. Who doesn’t? We love her so much that we’ve not just taken photos of the Melbourne artist rocking out, but we’ve reviewed her live show twice.
I often find myself wondering why I can’t be witty and profound while making catchy ballads about smoking weed and tending to my garden. Why can’t I be a modern female Bob Dylan with a great haircut? The answer is because she already does it so well, and deep down I think I am ok with that. Pedestrian At Best was one of our first tastes of her brilliant album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, which has gone on to become one of our absolute favourite albums of the year so far.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nr1nNC3ds]
For now I will just make do with singing the lyrics really loud. Do it with me: I’m a Scorpiooooo!
Feels good right?
2. Alabama Shakes: Don’t Wanna Fight (Album: Sound & Color)
Brittany Howard can do no wrong. When the first single off Sound and Color, burst onto the airwaves in February I was a little nervous. I loved the band’s debut Boys & Girls so much I wasn’t sure they could live up to the hype. But all my expectations were turned on their head with that husky squeal, that soft growl, that old soul bursting from her 25 year old body. It’s pure ecstasy. If you loved their first album, you’ll love their second offering even more. Brilliantly complex and overwhelmingly diverse, it’s another one of our absolute highlights of the year so far.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nin-fiNz50M]
1. Kendrick Lamar: King Kunta (Album: To Pimp a Butterfly)
Was there ever any question that this would be at the top of the list? Kendrick Lamar is the golden goose with the Midas touch in 2015. Yes, that’s a lot of references to gold, but probably not enough to summarise how amazing this song is. It is smart, soulful, catchy and everything you want from a “song of the year.” Plus, if that isn’t enough it also incites some amazing dance moves, even from a rhythmically impaired white girl like me. As politically and culturally powerful as it is musically brilliant, this was a shoe-in for our top choice.
Try NOT dancing like Taylor Swift every time it comes on.
2015, I’d dare you to release a better song, but I am not sure my heart could take it.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRK7PVJFbS8]
Alabama Shakes have premiered the video for single Don’t Wanna Fight today. Staged at the famous Capitol Records Studio A, the stripped back footage veers away from fanfare and focuses on what the group do best: rocking out. Twenty-five-year old front-woman and guitar powerhouse Brittany Howard continues to amaze, with a voice and talent well beyond her years. As she growls into the microphone from the opening note, the clip transports viewers to a place of soulful, gospel, bluesy goodness.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nin-fiNz50M]
The clip is the first in a series of four tracks off Alabama Shakes’ new album shot by photographer Danny Clinch. After falling in love with the record, Clinch says “My director of photography and I decided that the way to capture the pure energy of these songs live would be to shoot it with one camera, no edits, and follow the energy of the song. It really paid off. Not only is Brittany a powerhouse, but her range is stunning, from screaming to whispering and everything in between, with a band that is right there with her, as she is about to go over the edge.”
Don’t Wanna Fight is the lead single from Alabama Shakes’ latest release Sound & Colour. One of our favourite albums of the year so far, we highly recommend giving it a listen (and you can read our review here.) The group are doing so much more than most artists out there today; creating a powerful, diverse sound that’s not only unique, but fluid and incredibly captivating.
The group will be heading out on a mammoth US/Europe tour shortly with a slew of special guests including Australia’s own Courtney Barnett – we were blown away when we caught her live recently, so you know this is going to be one seriously great bill. If you have a bit of disposable income or find yourself in that part of the world, check out the details here.
When I first heard Alabama Shakes, predictably via their hit single Hold On, I spent a good deal of time thinking that they were a band from a decade or more ago, who I’d only just heard of. Their sound crossed styles and genres, and wasn’t like anything else coming out at the time. Today they release Sound & Colour, which makes 2012’s Boys & Girls look amateur.
Led by the insurmountably talented Brittany Howard, they’re one of the best bands in the world today, both on record and on stage. I’ve been lucky enough to catch them live a couple times; their energy is infectious, the atmosphere is incredible. It’s no surprise that they’ve wowed audiences ranging from Glastonbury Festival all the way up to Barack Obama.
Sound & Colour is marvellous in every way. It doesn’t show a ‘shift’ in the band’s sound; rather, a sound that has multiplied infinitely in size and range. Every track showcases a totally different style, sound and tempo. It’s all killer, no filler – and we don’t get that as often as we should.
No matter how much dance music or hip hop or indie you listen to, Alabama Shakes will make you fall in love with the guitar again and again and again. I’ve likened it to going home, after years of travelling. It’s inviting, it’s warm – immersing yourself in blues riffs, in wailing psychedelic solos, chunky distortion and gentle strums. No matter how far I stray, the guitar will be my first love.
There’s an outstanding range of textures and tones from this instrument alone. From the classic rock riffs that sway their hips on Dunes, to the bright sparks and huge, distorted crunches on Future People and Gimme All Your Love, to the pop-punk churns of The Greatest, to the hazy ska-inspired riffs on Guess Who, the skill of frontwoman/guitarist Brittany Howard alongside Heath Fogg is almost incomprehensible. And that’s just the first few tracks.
There’s no warm up needed. From the first moment of title track Sound & Colour, Howard and co. draw you in to a complex, sprawling colourful world – one much bigger than we’d been privy to on Boys & Girls. The soft, yet demanding beat blends with those horns and strings, only a small taste of what’s to come.
Lead single Don’t Wanna Fight is up next. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up in my top ten songs of the whole year. With the kind of depth and emotion that only a handful of singers can execute, there is such a deep, driving passion in every note, every screech, every whisper. The melody intertwines with the bass and rhythms to perfection, and the lyrics are nothing short of poetry. Dramatic, powerful and weak all at once, over three goddamn octaves.
From there we move onto the grunge-heavy Dunes, and the bubbly, deliberate Future People. Combining those aforementioned guitar crunches with impossibly high falsetto and chords creates the most gorgeous, huge, captivating atmosphere, and the chorus is one of my favourites of the whole album.
Themes of love and relationships pepper almost each track – mostly dealing with the end of a relationship and the aftermath. Don’t Wanna Fight is an impassioned plea for calm; Gimme All Your Love Miss You begs for affection; later on, Miss You is sad and sentimental – she thanks her ex, explaining “Maybe the stars aligned, or maybe I just changed my mind.” For every moment of strength and glory, there’s a moment of heartbreak – and you can really feel that moment like it’s your own.
This Feeling give us a little break from the explosive intensity of the first half. It’s slower and simpler, with a box-tap beat and simple acoustic guitar. There’s a kind of vulnerable, silver-lining confidence in Howard’s voice as she sings “See I’ve been having a real hard time, but it feels so nice to know I’m gonna be alright.” The track has a soft, uplifting atmosphere that just beams down on you. Straight into the “listen to these when you’re in a bad mood” playlist.
The band playfully experiment with sound, expectation and style at every opportunity, the biggest and best moments come with sonic explosions; heavy distortion peppering angelic vocals and detailed melodies; the myriad styles which, while so different, somehow blend together with pristine fluidity – from lo-fi punk on The Greatest to a relaxed Shoegaze, to a 1950s soul-inspired Miss You.
And now, for the Magnum Opus, let me draw your attention to the second last track Gemini. Six and a half minutes of earth-shatteringly expansive, obscure spaghetti western psych-blues. Eerie organs and a twangy guitar lead the way, embellished by xylophones and Doors-style organs. The vocals are totally different to everything else on the album. Static phrases and deeply captivating lyrics, and a soulful, nearly trip-hop melody. It’s just beyond anything. I don’t know if it’ll be everyone’s favourite as it’s strange, choppy, and startlingly different, but but my god. That riff is so incredibly demanding and powerful, and as it builds and builds, and progresses along, you can’t help but find yourself completely hypnotised, drowning in a perfect sonic river.
It’s hard to follow a track like that, but the intimate, organ-infused album closer Over My Head is smooth and so beautiful. Drenched in a sweet, slow sadness, it very nearly reduces me to tears.
This album is phenomenal. The musicianship is unparalleled – we do not get to hear stuff like this every day. A genre-bending, decade-spanning, experimental and completely masterful album, I cannot recommend it highly enough.