Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd - After the Night Falls (2007)

A few years back, I was living in LA and I had a girlfriend who was really into dreamy, atmospheric stuff. We got into a few arguments over what to listen to because my moods varied and she always wanted to hear Cocteau Twins or Stars of the Lid. I blame the large amount of pharmaceutical opioids she was taking, but that's neither here nor there. This album is as dreamy as they come so Dana, if you're reading this, this one's for you.

Also, in case anyone might wonder why I'm choosing to post this instead of The Moon and the Melodies, the answer is simple: After the Night Falls is just as good, despite not having Liz Fraser's angelic voice involved and being shat on by critics with the most general complaint being it's too uneventful. I feel like I'm stating the obvious, but it's like that for a reason. It's the kind of thing you put on when you want to ponder the infinitude of the night sky (or if you insist, take a midday nap). Strangely enough, I also happened to be one of the few who liked Milk & Kisses and that was universally lauded as a complete failure. Eh, whatever. Pristine piano melodies over lingering reverb and drone effects, with names as big as these, you know what to expect.


Rating: 7.5/10

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