Fife’s Kenny Anderson returns with his first solo LP for seven years, a glorious, delicate warm, eccentric release of indie-folk, vibraphones, accordions, e-bows, samplers, ungulates, scratched records and wine glass-drones. Named after his co-producer, Derek O'Neill, also known as Des Lawson, it’s a long record 83 minutes, but is a wonderfully sensitive, immersive experience, including 13-minute suite titled Please Come Back I Will Listen, I Will Behave, I Will Toe the Line, and closes with the beautiful, gradually evolving synth-and-more 36-minute Drone in B♯, with the B♯ being a microtone. The album lifts off with the soaring strings and Kenny’s instantly recognisable, delicate emotive voice on It’s Sin That’s Got Its Hold Upon Us, and typifies the crisp dry wit of many lyrics throughout: “The drugs only make me cry. I was having such a good time.” This first half also contains a trio of songs about death – Burial Bleak, Dust and perhaps the highlight is the beautifully poetic first of those, Blue Marbled Elm Trees (a former Song of the Day here) – which Kenny might describe as his “fancy funeral song”. Each track unfolds slowly with beauty, and gentle wit, including Walter De La Nightmare, Love Is A Curse, and especially Ides, while Susie Mullen is moves into less typical louder, faster indie pop or even krautrock territory. Overall, one of his best ever – a poetic, gorgeous, powerful monument to emotive, experimental folk. Out on Domino.
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