We don’t celebrate thanksgiving in Finland, but lately I’ve been grateful of having the chance to live side by side with the new brilliant Grand Salvo album Sea Glass. Australian Paddy Mann has again written and composed something remarkable. This is exceptional art built around a single vivid memory that is presented to the listener on the second to last song Field of Flowers. A gentle male voice singing softly in an almost repetitive loop, often accompanied with a heavenly beautiful choir and instruments that I couldn’t name without the press release (qanun, kora, koto etc). It’s a wondrous stream of magical music that flows through me creating its own strong and compelling memory that I will carry with me wherever I roam. This and the new Laura Gibson album are the current contenders for the album of the year title. Not that music is a competition. I love both madly. Here’s the memory Field of Flowers and a live version of an album track In The Water. Still probably the best way to introduce your heart to this music is to to just listen to the whole album from the beginning. Sea Glass is now out on Mistletone.
I love Woodpigeon and therefore I’m thrilled that the man behind the moniker, Mark Andrew Hamilton, has released a new fabulous album together with Kathryn Calder (The New Pornographers). Their band is called Frontperson and the album Frontrunner came out on the 21st of September on Oscar St. Records. Beforehand I was more familiar with the work of Mark Andrew Hamilton, but I’m equally mesmerized with the songs of Kathryn Calder. Frontperson is a gorgeous collaboration of two great Canadian songwriters. Here’s a couple of personal favorites from the album.
One more for this quick round-up post. Ballad Of The Quiet Citizen is a song by a Dutch songwriter VanWyck written for What the World needs Now platform. It’s a powerful protest song against a culture of fear and hate. A welcome reminder that love speaks louder still. Also remember to check out her 2018 album An Average Woman.