On the heels of yesterday’s look at the folk-rock sound of MV&EE comes a new album from fellow-Ecstatic Peace artist & current MV&EE touring companion Samara Lubelski.
Samara might not be a household name, but that is not to say that her diverse talents are not available to the public. As a solo artist, Samara has four full-lengths (and one cassette-only release, as all artists should) to her name, alongside being a core member of not one but two psych-folk collectives, The Tower Recordings and Hall of Fame, playing on most of the modern Krautrock band Metabolismus‘ albums as well as being part of MV&EE backing band, The Bummer Road and working alongside Thurston Moore himself on his Trees Outside the Academy. Add to this her engineering and mixing skills, which helped The Fiery Furnaces‘ record their impeccable Blueberry Boat, and it becomes extremely hard to discount her talents.
With back story taken care of, what of her latest offering? This coming October will yield Samara’s next solo foray, entitled Parallel Suns. Like MV&EE, it is a nostalgic affair - but replace MV&EE’s Neil Young & fuzz sound with soft, mostly acoustic Nick Drake adulation.
Each track focuses on Samara’s hushed & warm vocals, layered on top of a 60’s-style mix of psychedelia, folk & pop. It is easy to listen to, comforting even at it’s most intricate or engaging. This really is as “soft” as music can be, with Samara’s production skillfully mixing in all sorts of people and instrumentation (the credits for the album include about 10 other musicians, playing everything from xylophones & drums to guitars & clarinets) making the album a treat to listen to on decent headphones. All in all, the recording epitomizes the “other” side of freak-folk - not ravaged by the psychedelic-fueled freak-out suspiciousness that tends to leak into albums by groups like Sunburned Hand of the Man, Samara’s journey is a tranquil one, leaving it our job, as listeners, to decide if it is one engaging enough to warrant extended play.
like pillows & breezes on a hot day:
Samara Lubelski - Have You Seen the Colors?
Samara Lubelski - Tasting the Candy.
Parallel Suns will be released this coming October from The Social Registry. In the meantime, you can read more about Samara via her myspace or her official web-site.
Recent Retaliations.