An absolute titan of pastoral folk rock lushness and a set of songs we have listened to more times than we could even fathom. Welcome to the world of âridiculed lonely scientistâ Van Occupanther.
Although I do distinctly remembering falling for the bubbling charms of Bamnan and Slivercork (the debut LP from Texan five piece Midlake), nothing had us at all prepped for those first bars of Roscoe, the era defining lead track to the bandâs utterly seminal The Trials of Van Occupanther. Originally released in late July 2006, it is an album of misty nostalgia, thick analogue rock and roll riffs, layers of ghostly harmonies and generations of swooning folk and lore. They're just perfect, beautiful and evocative songs that tell a tale and keep you hooked to every inch of the stereo from itâs driving first beats to itâs soothing final hums. An album with very few equals.
To celebrate this Sunday Classic, we have gone into the Deluxe Newspaper vaults and bring you two exclusive interviews to commemorate Van Occupantherâs legacy.
Firstly, we have Remembering The Trials of Van Occupanther, an interview with Bella Union founder Simon Raymonde about the albumâs enduring charms. We have also (for the first time outside of itâs physical print run) published an interview with Tim Smith about the album and his memories of making it.
âFor me, itâs like reading an old diary. That was us, our struggles, figuring things out, still very new to things... but we were committed and believed in what we were making.â - Tim Smith.
If itâs your first listen, youâre about to hear something very special. If you havenât played it in a while, get ready to re-feel all the feels.
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