Are there any Record Club albums that don't share a title with some streaming service's mediocre TV series? Actually, this one looks pretty good. I don't know anything about it. I'm basing my assumption solely on the picture, which is a hot harp player. Would you rather listen to hot harp player, or more birds? You pick. Discuss below.
12 comments:
So many great thoughts this week that stick out to me:
— what happens when there are no more birds (Rachel)
— what happens when a calming album makes you exhilarated (Sara crashes her car)
— what happens when The Overstory crosses over into RC (Sunny)
— what happens when the incomplete is viewed through an optimistic lens (Gloria)
— what happens when a calming album makes you angry (Zach pukes up another grapefruit)
I just really like the idea of one album being the same for everyone (a kinda standard singer songwriter thing but with a fascinating overlay of natural sounds), but how everyone reacts to that agreed-upon thing differently. That's the core of RC right there. It was a good week.
I also really like pushing the idea of "I didn't like this album at all but I loved thinking about it and writing about it and talking about it." Not sure if anyone else feels that way, but that's where I'm at, six years into this dumb fucking club.
Agreed - thinking back to the days of the RC exit survey, this is a great example of an album eliciting different opinions, viewpoints, and takes on writing, which is the best of RC. Plus just a bunch of writeups - great coffee read!
I'll probably never hear/of ONR again, but hopefully that Martyn guy comes back into view in the future
Zach, I see you, and I bask in the correctness of your take. Rachel, your alternate title is the true one. Have you people never been inside the nature store at the mall? This album is what that store feels like.
Zach, I totally understand where you are coming from, but want to offer a different perspective. When things are bleak is exactly when we need a reminder of renewal. Experiencing happiness can be an act of resistance. It can is a source of energy and empowerment. Joy can help us maintain our self worth and can provide us with the reasons and strength to keep fighting oppressive systems. Sharing this feeling with others can help us bridge some of the gaps that act as barriers.
If you like to read, this is a recurring theme in Audre Lorde’s poems and essays. Check her out.
I think a lot about the simultaneously conflicting realities that a lot of us experience. The world is full of incomprehensible horrors, and every time you see the news it’s something new. We absorb this information, maybe we mourn for the people most affected, maybe we write emails to elected officials or go to protests trying to make a difference in our small way. But we also go about our daily lives— and those lives include moments of happiness. And that happiness is what lets us keep going.
One quote that I think about refers to this same weird duality during height of the AIDS crisis. "We buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all night." Finding that support, connection, and potentially even a moment of joy in your community can help give you the strength to continue on living
I agree with the consensus that this was a great week for reviews— this brought out a lot of interesting ideas that didn’t necessarily have anything to do with the actual music
Some people like the nature store!!!
I know this comment isn't directed at me, but I wanted to say that this is beautiful, Gloria.
"what is this shit-ass Grey's Anatomy-core nonsense" - Yes, Joe! Exactly this.
Thanks Gloria! It’s a great comment. I’ll check it out. My review was a bit, to some extent - the album made me angry for reasons beyond the music itself - but I’ll leave it at that. Either way what you write resonates.
Thanks Sara. I've never actually seen an episode of Grey's Anatomy, I don't think, so it's good to know I'm on the right track.
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