By It’s our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring the warm, tight-knit folk of big long sun’s LOVE SONGS AND SPIRITUAL RECOLLECTIONS
big long sun – LOVE SONGS AND SPIRITUAL RECOLLECTIONS
Genre: Indie Folk
Favorite Tracks: “i left a note,” “a way out,” “sad happy song,” “another situation with you”
Jamie Broughton’s big long sun project scratches an itch in a way most soft folk rock does: Its catchiness and familiarity are undeniable. He’s already put out a fair bit of music, all of it woven with pastoral psychedelia and contemporary slacker sensibilities. LOVE SONGS AND SPIRITUAL RECOLLECTIONS is Broughton’s third album, and features members of his eight-piece live band on backing vocals and violins. It’s a start that makes Broughton’s already live-sounding music feel less like an insular peek into his psyche, more a tight-knit communal effort.
It’s wonderful that this record comes across as such, because the original idea—a concept album about a fictional, forgotten 1970s artist called Arthur Jones—might’ve taken away the groundedness that makes it a cherished listen. Its title is everything Broughton sings about on this release: his diaristic ruminations about the same things, in the exact way many have thought about them. You can imagine what the songs sound like from their names alone: Opener “such a lovely day” is a delicate awakening to these peaceful ditties. The lightly foot-stomping “i left a note” features catchy strumming. Later, the borderline Americana chords have more to do with Alex G’s latest work. Especially on the slow-swaying “heavy (on your mind),” Broughton’s reaching vocal cadence recalls Friko’s Niko Kapetan with considerably less tenacity, preserving the serenity in his relatable cradle songs.
There’s a song for every kind of relationship far from jeopardy, but the fact that Broughton has his entire band on board for their upcoming fourth album means their pinnacle is still on the way. For the moment, the strongest big long sun album is this third one. Broughton’s knack as a standalone songwriter recording artist is indisputable, and he’s one to keep an eye on. Listen to his new album on Bandcamp.
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