I've been a fan of Gary Murray's work for years now, dating back to LN's Novel album (2001). At that time, if I was having a stressful day, I would turn the lights off, close my eyes, listen to that album, and probably end up falling asleep. It was referred to as a "sleepytime album" for good reason.
I still love that album, although I think I love each LN album released since then just a little more. This is the first album Murray has released since 2009's excellent Downstream Angels (also listed as Gary Murray & LN). And it just kind of dropped out of nowhere on June 7. Needless to say, I bought it as soon as I learned of its existence, and have been enjoying it ever since.
It covers the same basic territory as a lot of past LN albums. Slow, dark, folksy songs, built around a simple melody, and eventually filled out with a vast array of atmospherics. And, as always, Murray nails it. It's a beautifully dark album, each listening revealing something new to love.
If he keeps releasing albums this good, I don't really mind the 4 year wait so much.
Favorite track: "Minor Lives"
Rating: 5/5
