The past few months since I last posted here have been really intense in relation to both academic and fiction-writing, as well as reading, music practice (not nearly enough, sadly), embroidery, and a happy return to visual arts.
I’ve enjoyed a great many albums during this period, but here are my favourites:
- The Mirror Weighs A Ton – Interpol
- Train on the Island – Aldous Harding
- I Built You A Tower — Death Cab for Cutie
- Materia — Julia Holter
- The Ground Above — Beth Orton
- From A Hole in the Floor To The Fountain of Youth — Future Islands
- Aethermead – Of Montreal
- Half-Told Tales – Arab Strap
Of these, the ones I listened to the most was Death Cab for Cutie’s I Built You A Tower which was pretty much my birthday month soundtrack album back in June, and the lush gorgeousness of Aldous Harding’s Train On The Island. Julia Holter’s one of my favourite artists so Materia was an aural treat, and Beth Orton’s The Ground Above was a homecoming of sorts, taking us back to the songcraft that had us hooked in the first place. Another comfort listen to me was Future Islands’s album, one of my all-time favourite bands of recent years. I also cannot get over how amazing Interpol’s latest release is and it’s been on repeat for the past 2-3 weeks. Today, I’m listening to Of Montreal’s warm and mellow (!!) Aethermead. I think this is the most chill Of Montreal album of the past few years — sonically, at least. The lyrics still hold the bravura and bite that is an Of Montreal trademark. And I can never get enough of Aidan Moffat’s voice so Arab Strap’s surprise album Half-Told Tales was a delight*!
Some bangers (I’ve probably missed a bunch!) that I’ve enjoyed the most recently:
- Save Me (Feat Iggy Pop) – Joan as Policewoman
- Haveluck Country – Cola
- Voyager – PJ Harvey
- Capstone (feat Lucy Dacus) – Smidley
- Bird – @
- Toxica – Lido Pimenta
- You You You – Arab Strap
- Just West of Nicollet – Lambchop
I have a few albums I’m hoping to enjoy in October, including Phoebe Bridgers, Lambchop, The Mountain Goats etc. Will report back, whenever I remember/have time.
*Fun fact for people not in the know: The Scottish band Arab Strap was in existence long before the Belle & Sebastian album The Boy With The Arab Strap came into being. In fact, the album was a source of contention between the two bands (more here).