BRIGHT FUTURE
by Adrianne Lenker
This unusual, engrossing album was recorded in a backwoods studio, and that ambience complements these stark songs. On the opener, Real House, Lenker of New York's experimental alt-folk outfit Big Thief - weaves a six-minute reminiscence over rickety piano, sometimes going off-mike.
Its unvarnished quality suggests she's creating it in real time and we're eavesdropping on a conversation: "Do you remember/Coming to the hospital when I was 14? My friends all left me there spinning/Dad was angry and you saw everything..."
That her recollection reaches no convenient closure only adds to the mystique, and Bright Future captures that kind of crafted spontaneity.
Sadness as a Gift opens with a count-in and has the quality of a gorgeous early Dylan ballad, as rendered during his upstate retreat: "Leaning on the windowsill/You could write me someday and I bet you will".
Denne historien er fra April 6-11, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra April 6-11, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
