Palehound – Black Friday [180g Black Cherry Color Vinyl Record]

Description

The third full-length from Boston-based trioPalehoundis a subtle exploration of all the forms that love can take: the love between friends, respect for people no longer in your life, love in the face of self-hate, love that endures through significant life changes or many tiny catastrophes. With her thoughtful narrative voice,Palehoundsinger/songwriter Ellen Kempner imbues each song with a radical sensitivity, an unchecked depth of feeling that ultimately sparks a greater open-heartedness within the listener.Co-produced withGabe Wax(Beirut, Soccer Mommy),Black Fridayfollows 2017’s acclaimedA Place I’ll Always Go. In creating the album, Kempner and her bandmates Jesse Weiss (drums) and Larz Brogan (bass) recorded at Panoramic House in Stinson Beach, CA, tracking most of the songs live and breathing new vitality intoPalehound’selegantly detailed sound.

Unrestrained in emotion but subtle in a sonic flourish,Black Fridayopens with the stripped-back intensity of “Company,” the first of many songs conveying a profound longing for a lost friend. From there,Palehoundshift into the joyful wonder of “Aaron,” a song Kempner wrote for her partner amid his transitioning process.Palehoundexamines the intricacies of friendship and partnership throughoutBlack Friday, handling the subject with a level of attention rarely found in pop songs. On the quietly hypnotic title track, Kempner captures the specific ache of uneven emotional investment between friends, framing her plaintive acceptance in particularly barbed lyrics. And on “Worthy,”Palehoundspeak to the challenge of navigating self-confidence issues in relationships, and delicately showcase Kempner’s lyrical finesse.

While much ofBlack Fridayunfolds with palpable compassion, “Killer” takes on a vengeful mood as Kempner recounts a fantasy of doing away with a friend’s abuser. On the following track,Palehoundcontinues their contemplation of abuse with “Where We Live” a striking piece of spoken word from New York City-based poet Melissa Lozada- Oliva; its gritty yet dreamlike storytelling set against Kempner’s sprawling guitar work.

1. Company
2. Aaron
3. Black Friday
4. Worthy
5. Killer
6. Where We Live
7. Bullshit
8. Sneakers
9. Urban Drip
10. Stick N Poke
11. The City
12. In Town