thread of LOMA

they've been mentioned in the Shearwater thread a few times but they are clearly more than a "side project" or whatever now. Don't Shy Away is out today and, in a very crowded field, I think this might just be my favorite new album to drop this week. I'm bad at describing things via genre tags but I'd consider them...dream pop? with elements of synth-pop, ambient, modern classical, and a dollop of gothiness here and there. definite updated-vintage-4AD vibes. Brian Eno guests on the closer, if you needed a co-sign. a few highlights:

"Half Silences"
https://youtu.be/ysGQVNrxxW8

"Elliptical Days"
https://youtu.be/JkDXIcpQs2Q

"Black Willow" (from the debut)
https://youtu.be/u4yA8zM0ifY

thanks for the heads up. I liked the first one, but haven't listened to it in ages. Will give this one a listen.

the debut is wonderful but I think this new one might be a level up. lots of bands can do "pretty" but there's real substance to these records.

this is excellent! kinda what i'd wanted these new puritans to be? also quite talk talk at times. i love all the woodwinds everywhere

yes, I think this has potential to be both brad and DJP bait

something else this reminds me of is the second half of hounds of love

not something I would normally put on, but it made for very pleasurable sunday morning listening.

wonderful record

i really love how vast this album sounds

listening to this now - love how QUIET this record is, even/especially compared to the debut

in that also a really nice diversion from J Meiburg's work in Shearwater, which even when spacious leaned into a kind of FORCE

yes this is a stunning album. Reminds me of lots of things...Shearwater and Talk Talk, obviously, Eno, no surprise, but also Big Science-era Laurie Anderson; and at times her voice sounds straight up like Alejandra Deheza.

This is magnificent, feeling real Jane Siberry 'The Walking' vibes

yes!

in that also a really nice diversion from J Meiburg's work in Shearwater, which even when spacious leaned into a kind of FORCE

Meiburg's evolution has been super interesting and rewarding to keep track of over the years, as someone who was really into Shearwater way back when they felt like an Okkervil River side project

People who enjoy this would probably enjoy CS + Kreme's album 'Snoopy' - which is one of my other favourite quiet album of 2020.

I'm also put in mind on occasions of Julia Holter's 'Have You In My Wilderness'. In addition to the formal stylistic similarities, there's that sense of the musicians being able to do almost anything they put their minds to.

real Jane Siberry 'The Walking' vibes

― Tim F, Monday, October 26, 2020 5:58 PM (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

hi i arrived as quickly as i could

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTNw0JhaAPQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S0c9FlnAak

the live session they've been gradually posting to youtube this week is really excellent of course too.

These performances are terrific. Ocotillo evokes the last two Movietone records. So yeah, I'm on this one.

I'm liking this a lot.

nice new interview/feature in the 'Fork, unsurprised to learn Emily Cross works as a death doula:

https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/loma-band-interview/

it hadn't really occurred to me before reading this because it's not how I listen to music but if you're looking for a calmer record with a soothing quality but that's not all-out ambient, def check this out

This is incredible, parts of it are making me think of Julia Holter and Stina Nordenstam

On my third play this is definitely my album of the year so far, thanks for bringing this to my attention

it has been bugging me all weekend who this reminds me of and I finally realised it's Mr Twin Sister

This album is very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqBKMvfdGDQ

new album how will i live without a body? out 28 june

press release mentions laurie anderson provided them with an ai model trained on her body of work which contributed to the lyrics (???)

looking forward to this one

https://lomamusic.bandcamp.com/album/how-will-i-live-without-a-body

Really excited for this; had been revisiting the prior two albums this month.
(new Lightning Bug album out next month, too, for more in this vein)

I had totally forgotten about the 2020 album and how amazing it is.

press release mentions laurie anderson provided them with an ai model trained on her body of work which contributed to the lyrics (???)

― ufo, Tuesday, April 16, 2024 7:10 AM (yesterday)

As someone whose very first (disappointing) experiments with ChatGPT involved trying to get it to write "in the style of" Laurie Anderson, this is wonderful news

That single ("How It Starts") is sounding great in the headphones too

i haven't spent anywhere near enough time with the new one yet but it sounds lovely so far

Absolutely in love with the new album. It's definitely on the same level as Don't Shy Away and might even be better. These guys are quietly becoming something really special.

Love this album so much.

The really larger tracks (e.g. “Unbraiding”, “How It Starts”, “Broken Doorbell”) feel just incredibly epic and all-encompassing in this very natural manner, like the hone band didn’t set out to achieve that effect but the scope of the songs just grew to fit the scale of feeling being expressed. It reminds me of old Low epics.

broken doorbell is something else