Today I Listened To...

mellow but dirgey lou reed sprinkled with electronics all very forgetable. at it's best like an earthier American Analog Set. The best tracks are the ones that don't hide behind the production but the still are far from amazing. if i had to pick:
"the midwife"
"smoke and mirrors"
"joyriding"

Upbeat, straight ahead,twee leaning with a fair amount of reverb and distortion. Talluhlah Gosh is certainly a fair comparison though this comes off a bit like Darklands era JAMC at times. Songs are either nice laid-back strummy or peppy, buzzy rockers.
"Don't Want to be friends with you" is a true classic. super upbeat, the most guitar of any thing on this record and vox with a a hint of shout. must've been wonderful live.
"All day long" still up tempo, but more mellow overall. JAMC drums!
"before I wake" definately feeling "taste of cindy" here.
"caledonia road", "all that ever mattered", "fixed grin", "home again", "seems to be", "Nature Lover" & "looking back" are in the style of "IDWBFWY" but aren't quite as catchy. Still very listenable though.
"Somewhere in china","all of the time" & "all day long" are nice sparkly, strummy, contemplative twee.
"Train from kansas city" gets me just b/c of the superchunk cover. Great chorus.

wonderful record this. one of my favorites of last year. folk-out yes, but with a little more on the ground. Used to think i heard a bit of sisterlovers era big star. who knows. regardless of how the came by it, there's certainly more pop here than a lot of the stuff out there. rythmically loose, melodically tense. recalls the looser more acoustic-y elf power or NMH moments that i love so much. so many great moments throughout even if the songs don't happen, but here are he best that hold on for a few minutes.
"where do songs come from?"
"walk with the golden cross"
"let me grow in your meadow"
"the heron(a dream of waters part 2)"