Mount Eerie - Now Only (Out March 16)

[sam]

1. Tintin in Tibet (4:37)
2. Distortion (10:58)
3. Now Only (5:54)
4. Earth (5:52)
5. Two Paintings by Nikolai Astrup (9:22)
6. Crow, Pt. 2 (6:50)

I found this information on a vinyl collecting forum, apparently it was/is listed on iTunes? Anyway, I am excited! Tintin In Tibet and Distortion were amazing live.

[woolymammoth]

Wow, hoping this is true! March is right around the corner...

[woolymammoth]

...aaaaannnndddd it's official! Just got the message from Bandcamp:

pwelverumandsun.bandcamp.com/album/now-only


It's also in the PW Elverum store:

www.pwelverumandsun.com/store

"Now Only, written shortly following the release of A Crow Looked At Me and the first live performances of those songs, is a deeper exploration of that style of candid, undisguised lyrical writing. It portrays Elverum’s continuing immersion in the strange reality of Geneviève’s death, chronicling the evolution of his relationship to her and her memory, and of the effect the artistic exploration of his grief has had on his own life. The scope of Now Only encompasses not only hospitals and deathbeds, but also a music festival, childhood memories of conversations with Elverum’s mother, profound paintings and affecting artworks he encounters, a documentary about Jack Kerouac, and most significantly, memories of his life with Geneviève. These moments and thoughts resonate with each other, creating a more complex and nuanced picture of mourning and healing. The power of these songs comes not from the small, sharp moments of cutting phrases or shocks, but the echoes that weave the songs together, the way a life is woven.

The music, fully realized by Elverum alone at home, is fleshed out texturally and seems to react to the words in real time. In a moment of confusion, dissonance abruptly makes itself known; in a moment of clarity, gentle piano arises. On the title track, the blunt declaration of “people get cancer and die” is subverted by a melody that can only be described as pop. As Elverum reinvents his lyrical process, he is also refining his musical vocabulary.

Elverum’s life during the period he wrote Now Only was defined by the duality of existing with the praise and attention garnered by A Crow Looked At Me and the difficult reality of maintaining a house with a small child by himself, as well as working to preserve Geneviève’s artistic legacy. Consumed with the day to day of raising his daughter, Elverum felt his musical self was so distant that it seemed fictional. Stepping into the role of Phil Elverum of Mount Eerie held the promise of positive empathy and praise, but also the difficulty of inhabiting the intense grief that produced the music. These moments, both public and domestic, are chronicled in these songs. They are songs of remembrance, and songs about the idea of remembrance, about living on the cusp of the past and present and reluctantly witnessing a beloved person’s history take shape. Time continues."

[sam]

I initially missed the fact that new tour dates were added to Phil’s site, excited to see he’s returning to LA so soon.

[woolymammoth]

Streaming now!

www.npr.org/2018/03/08/590957789/first-listen-mount-eerie-now-only

[sam]

I’ve only listened a handful of times but am blown away.

[sam]

Seeing Phil twice tomorrow night! Did anyone catch the NY show last night? Curious as to the merch on offer. Hoping t grab a copy of Now Only and whatever else may be available.

[boynirvana]

Just wanted to note that in track 3 , "Now Only" , Phil describes jumping on beds with popular musicians and eating food. He follows this memory by saying "Wreck of ideas that blot out the stars... To be still alive felt so absurd".  I am sure its not intentional or related but ... I recently was reading Genevieve's Drawn & Quarterly (showcase 3) comic and noticed it had a line "and happiness seems so absurd". As I read it I could hear Phil sining the line from the album. 

I attached the image for reference. 

Thoughts? Any other findings and parallels?