if you’ve got a plan, i’ve got a reason
Britain’s Neil Halstead writes albums that grow slowly, the way a science class time-lapse video of a seed turns into a green shoot, curling into a bud and finally unfurling into a flower.
I keep returning the music of this former Slowdive/Mojave 3 frontman as a perennial favorite: deep, understated, and redolent in its reminiscence. Neil has a new album coming out later this summer called Palindrome Hunches (Brushfire Records, Sept 11), and lately I just keep listening to it in full. This is the first we’ve heard from him in four years, since 2008′s Oh! Mighty Engine, a record that was one of my favorites that year.
Full Moon Rising – Neil Halstead
In honor of that big bright full moon on the horizon tonight, here’s the first single from the new record. All pensively resonant piano and wending violins, it’s pretty damn perfect for summer evenings.
Name: Heather Browne
such loveliness…thanks HPB.
Jason — July 3, 2012 @ 2:55 pm
Mojave 3 is one of those bands that I always meant to listen to, but they kinda fell by my wayside. So, after reading this post I started poking around the music and, well, where is a good starting point? I trust your opinions people, so please, where should I go first?
thevandalstookmyhandle — July 3, 2012 @ 3:30 pm
Beautiful! Love this.
Krista — July 3, 2012 @ 4:44 pm
His voice is like an additional guitar string. The pitch is perfect with a delicate hum between phrases. The piano and violin (some kind of orchestral strings) add to the tone of the piece instead of distracting.
Beautiful music.
jon — July 4, 2012 @ 12:18 am
Great song; I’ve been listening to this a lot. It’s probably going to be my co-song obsession the next time through.
Adrian — July 6, 2012 @ 2:48 pm
The music itself sounds like mid-90′s Red House Painters and Mark Kozelek. Also this sent me on a Mojave 3 nostalgia kick. Thank you!
ian — August 17, 2012 @ 8:49 am