Chorus.fm Record of the Week Club • Page 77

I'll have something this afternoon!

 

JK I found something quick, I'm bringing LEYA's 2020 album Flood Dream. LEYA are a neoclassical...ish?/experimental duo from New York consisting of Marilu Donovan (harp/vocals) and Adam Markiewicz (violin/vocals). I often describe their sound with words like "lilting" and "haunting" and "beautiful" and while those are definitely technically correct I don't think I can accurately holistically describe what they do. LEYA good, is what I'm trying to say. This was handily one of my favorite albums of 2020.

 

Nice! Haven't heard of this one!

 

Me neither! Excited to check it out

 

I was a little surprised to see they've never been mentioned on this forum! They're playing here the same night I have tickets to Ichiko Aoba and I'm tempted to buy a ticket for the other day she's playing so I can go see them too

 

Love Waxahatchee but kept forgetting to listen to American Weekend. I fixed that earlier while it’s a pretty great record I definitely prefer everything she’s done since

 

Yeah, American Weekend is more of an interesting listen that informs her newer work than anything else to me. Still a cool record to spend time with

 

Also I’ve been slacking but I listened to American Weekend today and loved it. Katie is such a great songwriter that the lo-fi tMG style recording really works for me.

 

LEYA album is definitely “lilting,” “haunting,” and “beautiful,” as @Kistler accurately described it. To me, it sounds like a melancholic opera—or more specifically an eerier version of the most recent Sigur Rós album, ÁTTA—what with the minimal wordless vocals and the orchestral swells. A little too dissonant and spooky for my ears on first listen, but also strangely calming. Glad I listened to it, added some songs to my writing playlist.

 

Oh yeah I hadn't made that connection but the ÁTTA comparison is apt

 

I’m going to give Flood Dream another try today. I found it too dissonant for my mood on my first attempt.

 

Definitely dissonant. I found it helpful to listen to it in the background like an ambient album

 

Did another listen. I think what really stands out and creates the eerie tone is the simplicity of the music. It’s largely acoustic finger picking with strings propping up haunted, operatic vocals. At times the guitar sounds like it’s been intentionally left ever so slightly out of tune. The album feels designed to be played over post apocalyptic montages, but there are still layers up hope built in every now and then. “Flow” being an example of a track that simultaneously blends a feeling of dread with hope. It almost feels like watching a film like Midsommar. There’s a feeling of dread but it mostly takes place during the day with bright natural lighting and flowers all around.

 

I was doing this, trying to just have it be noise in the background while I got some things done, but I kept getting drawn into the music, which is typically a good sign.

 

Your turn @JM95!

 

I pulled away from the thread a few months ago so someone else is welcome to go.

But happy to suggest one if need be.

 

I should probably update the OP today

 

Either works. Your choices have always been good so if you have anything, we’ll take it!

 

Ok then here's an album I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on, and one I've been turning to a lot recently — Flying Saucer Attack's self-titled debut album from 1993.

Ostensibly a shoegaze record but more diverse and more involved than that label suggests. The primary member, David Pearce, labelled it ‘rural psychedelia’.

It's not for everyone but I don't think there is a shoegaze-adjacent album I like more.

 

Damn, sounds right up my alley - will probably throw this one on today. Stoked!

 

great fucking choice. that whole Bristol scene from the 90's is really great and underrated. I think i've only heard Distance from these guys so this will be new to me

 

The LEYA album was really cool. Very haunting and beautiful like you mentioned. Flesh may have been my favorite track.

 

Flying Saucer Attack album is properly enveloping and wonderfully doom-laden. Fuzzy and atmospheric in all the right places. I will be spinning this one and the rest of their stuff often.

for MWE in February, I listened to this one from one of the part-time members of Flying Saucer Attack, Matt Elliott. It has a similar rapturous sprawl as this.

As I said above, the Bristol slowcore / shoegaze / post-rock / space-rock scene at this time was stellar and very different from the typical post-rock style. I also recommend these albums! Need to dig even deeper bc I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve heard so far.

 

Thanks for the recs as usual, @OotyPa

 

I listened to the Flying Saucer Attack record this morning. Really cool stuff. Been craving some *new* shoegaze to listen to (that i've been too lazy to seek out) so this came at the perfect time for me