It’s about -25℃ here in Montreal, crisp white and blue in the afternoon. I’ve not been outside for close to 10 days. My family is working through one case each of Omicron along with the requisite isolation period. I’m torn between wanting so bad to be out in the light and the world and the weather, and wanting to curl further inward; for more layers of blankets, more Bake Offs. So this month’s issue is for you, blanket lovers: you who need layers of cake and comfort, whether you’re planning on heading out eventually, or curling further in.
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click on the covers to listen or go your own way ~~
Cop Tears - Thirteen Harmonies (2016)
Ambience, room sound and recording quality are all central components of Thirteen Harmonies. Throughout this set of delicate chamber pieces, the listener can hear muddled voices in the background; the players casually discussing cues and counting in, asking tempered questions and admitting they’ve hit a rot note. The source of the music is John Cage’s Apartment House 1776, the players are Derek Baron (flute), Cameron Kapoor (guitar) and Andrew Wilhite (double bass). In astute Cageian reflexivity, the album sounds fully realized and at the same time like a warm-up on day one of rehearsals. Cozy AF.
Keith Hudson - Flesh Of My Skin, Blood of My Blood (1974)
This is my #1 making breakfast record, which is to say it holds a very special place for me. In terms of production, Hudson is at his dinkiest here and somehow that’s a good thing? The whole record is mesmerizing and dynamic, but this song in particular really helps me feel the world spin in all its graces.
Rodney East - Hymn and I Vol.1 (2021)
Caught this absolutely resplendent gospel album on a friend’s year-end list. Before I could even finish asking myself ‘can I get down with this?’, the question just mmmmelted away. I’m not a religious person, but like Fanny Howe (one of my favorite writers), Rodney East and his collaborators are able to sell me on God through an aesthetic that’s as rigorous as it is gentle and compassionate.
Desert Bloom - On (2020)
A crystalline set of piano-driven ambient pieces from Montreal artist Desert Bloom. Certain pieces remind me of Sakamoto & Noto’s Insen in their ability to feel both reflective and propulsive. The potency of this music is achieved through great subtlety, feel and restraint. The kind of sound that accentuates the elegance of any given line of thinking.
The Cradle - Bag Of Holding (2018)
Usually, this is more of a fall record for me. Though in the same way that chip season now seems everlasting, I find myself reaching for this autumn sweater on any given day. The title of the album, referring to a bag whose ‘interior space is considerably larger than its outside dimensions’ according to dndbeyond.com, speaks perfectly to the way in which the music pulls big sweeping feelings from seemingly minor narratives. This effect is achieved through the collaboration of two wonderfully complementary musicbrains: Paco Cathcart, the distinctive songwriter behind The Cradle’s 30+ releases, and composer/arranger Sammy Weisberg. Think of how Van Dyke Park’s arrangements swirl and refract the infinitesimal details of Ys, and then imagine it’s fully 2006 and not only is Ys changing your life, but so too is Saddle Creek.
Choir Of The Pius X School - Missa Pro Defunctis (~1930)
The more I try to frame this as a ‘blanket’ or ‘comforting’, the less confident I am… ultimately, it’s up to you how spooky you find this: a choral recording of a mass for the dead captured at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY nearly 100 years ago. Maybe more of a veil?
Girma Yifrashewa - Love And Peace (2014)
This’ll be the second mention of the saintly Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou in the brief lifespan of this newsletter. And that’s me showing some restraint. On this glorious solo piano outing, Ethiopian composer Girma Yifrashewa is beaming nothing but the titular pairing. Meditative, ebullient, reflective, affirming, and undoubtedly indebted to ETMG. A dulcet gem amidst the treasure-laden caves of Unseen Worlds.
I’m super interested in feedback / dialogue / suggestions. If you have ideas about the newsletter, want to share music with me, have specific questions / requests, don’t hesitate to get in touch. And please: share this newsletter with a pal if you feel so inspired!
Yrs.,
Andrew P.
andrewdanielpatterson [at] gmail [dot] com