Wow I didn't mean to take this long of a break from reviewing albums, but things come up and people get busy, that's just how shit goes. Anyway it feels good to be writing again, and it feels even better to be reviewing Old Friends, the third studio album by Virginia noisecore act turned folk outfit Pygmy Lush. This album not only sees the band leave their hardcore roots completely in the dust (three of the members used to play for Pg.99) in favour of an all out acoustic indie-folk sound, but it is also their most mature and well-constructed album yet. Old Friends is the album where Pygmy Lush finally seem to discover their sound: warm and beautiful americana-soaked indie folk.
Not only is Old Friends probably the best Pygmy Lush album to date, I also think it happens to be one hell of a Fall season album. Its beautifully mixed acoustic guitar harmonies and slightly bluesy folk music vibe give it enough warmth for summer, while its melancholic lyrics and relatively down-tempo pace make it sound almost cold enough for winter. On Old Friends, Pygmy Lush find this perfect balance between emotions of peaceful bliss and lingering sadness, stick with it throughout the whole album, and in the end they absolutely nail the atmosphere that they seem to have been going for. I dare you to listen to a track like Night at the Johnstown Flood and not feel totally at ease with your life, while at the same time the song's lyrics impart some obscure sense of loss. As reverberating vocals sing "can't stay up all night and I can't see you anymore" it seems unclear what exactly was lost, but the melancholy nature of Old Friends carries through every song, even on its warmest and most upbeat tracks.
As far as standout tracks go, it's difficult to choose with an album as solid and holistic as Old Friends. But a few songs stood out as the most memorable to me on repeat listens. Chance seems to hold its own as a highlight of the album. With an incredibly catchy acoustic hook and some absolutely gorgeous harmonies, Chance is probably my favourite song on the album. It feels all at once beautifully self-assured with a soaring acoustic harmony, and lyrically trepidatious with a chorus that ends with "we don't have a chance to heal ourselves." Other fantastic songs include the aforementioned Night at the Johnstown Flood, Penny On My Deathbed (the most pensively sad song of the album), Admit, and In A Well. But if you like these individual songs, chances are you're going to listen to and love the entire album anyway.
I'm not sure what other praises I can sing to recommend buying and listening to this album as soon as humanly possible. Like always, you can follow the link below the album artwork to sample a song from the record for yourself.
Do like I do, put your headphones on and go for a long walk through the falling leaves on a warm night with Old Friends as your soundtrack. God knows this season doesn't last long in Calgary, so get to it!
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