Stuck In Our Head: "Sleeper In The Valley" - Laura Veirs

One of our founders plus our exclusive columnist travelled to north London to enjoy a Laura Veirs concert last night. Seriously, you guys, it was stunning. We have not felt so touched or tingly in a while. There'll be a concert review soon (hopefully) depending on whether or not someone else is kind enough to post their setlist or photos online (we couldn't take our own for various reasons).

In the meantime we've had this on repeat all day. It's always been our favourite track from Laura's latest album, July Flame. Tragically it wasn't included in the gig. We have much devastate etc. So here it is for you to enjoy.

In all seriousness, this may be one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. Try not to be seduced. Try no to shed a beauty-tear. Try not to be moved, swayed, transported to a green glade of gently swirling rushes and cool, running water with trees whispering above. Try not to feel your heart stop at the stunningnosity of it all. We dare you.

Very pretty/clever...

Laura Veirs has done a nifty paper stop-motion animation-type video for her song "July Flame" (thanks to xolondon for alerting us to it!)and it is loooovely in the extreme. Of course, Laura's music is of such ridiculous crystalline, heart-stopping beauty that she could have paired it with footage from a bloody ritual animal sacrifice and it still would've been charming and winsome.

The Laura Veirs album: it's amazing!

1. It's a 'progression' - we love a progression.
2. The sound is more ambient, soupier, more lush and less varied than previous albums.
3. It's sort of like Bon Iver, or even Arcade Fire - but obviously completely sounds like its own thing as well.
4. Whilst we'll miss the individual little geological and geographical vignettes rendered in perfect folk splendour, it's nice to have a more cohesive work.
5. Some of the string bits are just unbelievably beautiful, without being histrionic or melodramatic.
6. This isn't out til January 2010, so it's officially the first great album of the new decade.
7. Amazing.
   

Unspeakably gorge...

Laura Veirs makes the kind of breathtakingly beautiful folk pop that some call 'twee'. We call it ruddy fantastic, but that's just differing tastes for you, isn't it? Her new album, July Flame, is out on the 12th of January 2010 and sports this stunning and artful album coverart.

We'll post more details as they come, but in the meantime you can download two new free tracks, grouped together as a single ("July Flame Overture") here. And download some free live tracks here. Just, just BEAUTIFUL. Enjoy!

And now for something completely different...

There's going to be a new Laura Veirs album this year, we are pleased to learn. As far as we can tell it's going to be called July Flame (gorgeous name, sets a luscious tone ALREADY) but beyond that we're stumped for clues. A Laura Veirs album is a true beauty to behold. Her crystalline delicate paeans to nature are so heartbreakingly beautiful and well-done, we're immediately ashamed for not having mentioned her more often.

Makes note to self: write more about Laura Veirs than Girls Can't Catch, plz.