The Golden Record

by Little Scream

Overview

The Golden Record opens with an ethereal, echoing melody that sounds as though it's being sung from the altar of a cathedral. An acoustic guitar slowly enters the mix, then the distant thump of a kickdrum, followed by background harmonies and a hazy, watercolor swirl of orchestral instruments. The rest of Little Scream's debut follows suit, flitting between scaled-down folk music and lush, widescreen panoramas of sound. Recorded in Montreal with a host of local hotshots -- most notably Richard Parry, who shares production credit with Little Scream herself -- The Golden Record approaches its loudest moments like an artsy Arcade Fire, adding acoustic instruments and scant, repetitive riffs into a towering jumble of chamber pop. "Guyegaros," with its half-spoken/half-sung verses and haunting dobro riffs, belongs in Quentin Tarantino's next spaghetti western, and "Your Radio" rides a steady crescendo of shoegaze guitars and choir vocals for five full minutes, eventually dissolving into a cacophony of drums. On the quieter numbers, Little Scream transforms herself into a first-rate folksinger, crooning her way through pastoral ballads like "The Heron and the Fox" and filling "Black Cloud" with whistles, strings, and an unexpected minor-key bridge. Nothing is "normal" on The Golden Record -- the songs are poked, prodded, and turned on their head at random intervals -- but everything sounds gorgeous, from Little Scream's hazy warble to the two minutes of rainfall, audible rush-hour traffic, and wind chimes that end the album. This is an absolute beast of a debut. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	04/12/2011
Label:	Secretly Canadian
UPC:	0656605023618
Rank:	93605

Tracks

1. The Lamb
2. Cannons
3. The Heron and the Fox
4. Your Radio
5. Black Cloud
6. Guyegaros
7. Boatman
8. People Is Place
9. Red Hunting Jacket
10. Hallowed

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Little Scream   Primary Artist,Synthesizer,Vocals,Piano,Guitar,Violin
Patty McGee   Drums
Natalie Shatula   Vocals
Aaron Dessner   Guitar
Becky Foon   Cello
Mike Feuerstack   Lap Steel Guitar
Sarah Neufeld   Violin
Pietro Amato   Clapping,Stomping
Marcus Paquin   Dobro
Richard Reed Parry   Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Stef Schneider   Clapping,Stomping
Tim Kingsbury   Vocals
Jess Robertson   Flute,Flute (Bass)
Eric Hove   Flute
Kaveh Nabatian   Clapping,Stomping
Marika Shaw   Viola

Technical Credits

Little Scream   Composer,Producer,Cover Painting,Arranger
Ben Klaff   Arranger
Lily Sprengelmeyer   Composer
Aaron Dessner   Engineer
Mike Feuerstack   Engineer
Tom Dempsey   Photography
Alan Douches   Mastering
Marcus Paquin   Mixing,Engineer
Richard Reed Parry   Arranger,Engineer,Producer
Vid Cousins   Engineer
Zoltan Kodaly   Transcription,Interpretation
Richmond Lam   Photography