I shortly featured this one back in May, but I thought a revisit is in order because a) I still love it b) I just saw that it’s on Bandcamp these days. Back then I couldn’t find it anywhere else than on the Idee Fixe Records website where I bought it.
Canadian singer-songwriter Simone Schmidt aka Fiver spent a few years going through the old case files (from 1854-1881) of patients at the Rockwood Asylum for the Criminally Insane and turned her findings into fictional folk songs. The songs found a home on her new album that is mesmerizing in an unsettling manner and one of the most powerful and breathtaking albums of the year. It might not be an ideal choice as background music for lazy afternoon, but I highly recommend taking the time to listen to this traditional folk album. This is Pile Your Silver from Audible Songs From Rockwood.