Folklore - Beige Vinyl

Product Information

Taylor Swift emerges from lockdown with a 17 track album of intimate indie folktronica, produced by Aaron Dessner from the National. Recorded at Hive Mind Studios in Brooklyn, NY, with the help of producer/arrangers Mike Buckley and Vincent Chiarito (both members of Charles Bradley's Extraordinaires) and crack team of a-list musicians, his upcoming album blends heavy arrangements and introspective lyrics with sophistication, leaving the listener in a blissful wash of wonderment. So far only thru side A and and finding terrible warbles in extended piano notes, sluggish sounding too, and wandering “imaging”- there was a noticeable change (improvement) during track 3- the pace self corrected so warbles disappeared… listening to side B now and it has no issues.

Maybe the pandemic has put us into a more introspective mood but whatever the story behind these songs - the net result is a career peak - at least to this music fan. Maybe the vocal and acoustic guitars sound a fraction more natural on vinyl, but that could be me hearing what I wanted to hear. Recorded live, the album features Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner (The National), Jack Antonoff (Bleachers) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). All lacquers have been cut and mastered by Ryan Smith (2) (RKS) at Sterling Sound; additionally some pressings have also been cut at Sterling Sound by Joe Nino-Hernes (JN-H).

I have listened to it several times so far which is honestly more than I can say for most of the new music I have bought recently. It's stripped down perfectly, with crisp and clear vocals and very little surface noise on the pressing itself. Written by Taylor with Dessner, Justin vernon, Jack Antonoff and the mysterious William Bowery, it's an understated masterpiece of stripped back acoustic electronica, reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens in places; the Autumn to the Summery tie-dye pop of Lover. Now with a massively successful US tour opening for sweet soul darlings Thee Sacred Souls behind him, 2023 is sure to be a propitious year for Daptone's newest signee.

US releases have been pressed by French MPO, while European releases have been pressed by Czech GZ Media.This took me by surprise but the combination of earworms, great production and storytelling songwriting found me just at the right time, or I just like weeping along to ‘Exile’, who knows, but I love it. If you are a massive TS fan and can't put your finger on why this record sounds so amazing, I'm willing to bet it's simply because all her previous recordings are vastly inferior. My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world. Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’ time, but the times we’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed.

Over the last few months he has disarmed packed rooms of rowdy concert goers, leaving them silent as they hold fast to every syllable sung. Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Jalen perform live knows that he is one of the most captivating performers on today's soul scene. The glossy production she’s lent on for the past half-decade is cast aside for simpler, softer melodies and wistful instrumentation.The surprise released, eighth full length album from the iconic Taylor Swift, following on from 2019's super colourful record Lover. A routinely great artist, much of Sufjan's universal appeal comes from his skills as a gifted narrator, pairing personal musings on love and devotion with commentary on American culture, whilst welding folk and electronica, the ambient and existential. The new album folklore features production assistance and guest spots from the likes of Aaron Dessner of the National, Bon Iver and regular collaborator, Jack Antonoff. In short, I expect this to be a strong contender for the Grammys next year, and unless something better comes along soon, it may just monopolize the awards next year.

His full length debut on Daptone Records is equal parts raw feeling and elegance and exudes confidence and charm. I am admittedly an older music fan considering Ms Swift's demographic fan base but I would like to think that I try to stay somewhat current with today's music scene. Swift disappeared into the metaphorical woods while writing ‘Folklore’, and she’s emerged stronger than ever. It’s the sound of an artist who’s bored of calculated releases and wanted to try something different. The songs and arrangements are beautiful and offer a much broader range of subjects than she has written about before.Everything from a hole in the record where it’s not supposed to be, to scratches and even one chipped.