in love and raising sand
song of the day, it’s good to be in love by frou frou.
On the heels of the sotd, I have to talk about a new CD. I got Raising Sand the other day, the new album with alison krauss and robert plant. and wow. I don’t even know where to begin.
I expected it to be good, all things considered. The reviews were full of high praise. But I was unprepared for the plain simplicity of it, the enveloping gorgeousness, the unabashed, unsentimental beauty. Caught me off guard. or rather, threw me off guard. whoever thought up these two making an album together is a fucking genius.
what can you classify the music as? It isn’t country, it certainly isn’t rock, it’s kind of bluesy, a little country, a little rock, folky a bit, and even kind of trip hoppy, but in such an accessible, organic way. The soundscapes are surreal, but not uncomfortable or foreign, because of how bare it feels, how exposed and open. It’s kind of like going home, a home you never really had, but always wished, believed, knew existed, somewhere, somehow. The whole scope of it feels grand, but it’s so very intimate. It’s warm, but not suffocating, as a pervading coolness resides deep within each song.
I can’t say enough good things about it. I believe that most of these songs are remakes, or at least, I don’t think they were written by RP and AK. I don’t know though. I should probably look it up before I talk about it. Oh well. I should probably also look up who produced the album. What I’m most interested in finding out is who decided these two should get together, who picked the songs, how it all came about. Would that be the producer? I wonder if there’s a making-of DVD planned, I would so interested in that.
I am sure a number of things are playing into my current obsession with this album, my own mood and the kind of spooky feel the songs give me, the weather, the new year, blah blah, etc. I just have to be careful, because the immense pleasure I’m getting from it, the experience of hearing these songs fresh and new, it just won’t last. I want to put it on repeat and listen to it over and over again, as is my tendency with new music I like. But I won’t. I am keeping my distance. I am forcing myself to practice restraint and patience. It’s next to impossible, I can’t hold out for long.
All I can say is that this is the best album I’ve heard all year long. I know the year is technically only 9 days old, but still. You know what I’m saying.
Normally, I’d have offered a song or two for you to see for yourself. But I must insist you go out and purchase the CD. It deserves your dollars. I got it for free, but only because of my position of influence in the music industry. ha. No, I originally got it for free, but I have since bought it, it’s that good.
anyway.