it’s a pain in the arse to describe, but it’s a pleasure to listen to
Have you ever heard of a Mood Board? It’s the kind of thing textile students and so called fashion designer’s make when they’re trying to come up with new ideas for the next season’s look. Basically they’ll cut bits of fabric, adverts, images, photos and more and stick them on a large sheet of paper, choosing colours that complement each other. Then they’ll get creative and stick weird shit on there, to add texture and mood, like twigs, branches and smears of chocolate, that kind of thing. Then they’ll go off and do some work.
It’s quite possible The Inner Banks use a similar method. They’ve thrown the kitchen sink into this but thankfully this isn’t the mood board, this is the work they’ve done afterwards. This is the shirt you’ll actually want to spend your money on.
Essentially it’s a mix of floaty female vocals (which are lovely) and laid back folky/trip hoppy music but that paints far too small and narrow of a picture to be honest. This feels spacious, but never quiet. It’s big and hearty without ever getting out of first gear. In other words, it’s a pain in the arse to describe, but it’s a pleasure to listen to. If you ever need an hour to yourself, let this keep you company. It’s a delicate and beautiful piece of work and one of the best albums I’ve heard all year, and in Come Back, they’ve created one of the best songs too. Gorgeous.
Words: Damian Leslie