Sometimes A Cloud Is Just A Cloud: Slow Growers, Sleeper Hits And Lost Songs (2001 - 2021) - Vinyles Rose Et Violet

Description

Eric D. Johnson, the creative force behind Fruit Bats, doesn't spend a lot of time looking backward. Maybe it's a Midwestern thing. He explains that you shouldn’t be too reflective or navel-gazing. And as a songwriter, you always want to be looking forward, not backward. But with the 20th anniversary of his first Fruit Bats album (Echolocation, 2001) in mind, the time was right to take stock of his work, and he does so in the form of Sometimes a Cloud Is Just a Cloud: Slow Growers, Sleeper Hits and Lost Songs (2001-2021), a two-disc collection that traces the Fruit Bats story from its beginnings to the present day. Carefully compiled by Johnson himself, this box set is divided into two distinct parts. In reverse chronological order, the first disc is a selection of official Fruit Bats releases, including fan favorites—"Humbug Mountain Song" from 2016’s Absolute Loser and "The Bottom of It" from Gold Past Life, his 2019 Merge debut—as well as some more personal choices like "Glass in Your Feet" from Echolocation. He was 25 when he made that record and even younger when he wrote that song. He probably hadn't learned how to write from the heart yet. He was trying to create a sound. At that time, it wasn't even really about the song. The first disc kicks off with a brand-new track, "Rips Me Up." Recorded with Josh Kaufman, who co-produced Fruit Bats’ 2021 album The Pet Parade, the highly expressive song deals with how love can paralyze and hurt us. The second disc is for longtime fans who want a deeper dive into the Fruit Bats universe. It features lovely early versions of "Rainbow Sign" and "The Old Black Hole," recorded on a Tascam 4-track as Fruit Bats was taking shape. It also features a rambling cover of Steve Miller Band's rock classic "The Joker," as well as wonderful, never-before-heard original tracks. For Eric D. Johnson, two of the most exciting tracks are "WACS" and "When the Stars Are Out," both recorded during the sessions for 2011’s Tripper album. The former is notable for the appearance of Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, who applies a perfect psych-soul solo to the mix. The latter features another special guest, the great and late Richard Swift on piano. Although he had some internal debates about ruminating on his past work, this project ultimately reassured him that trusting his musical instincts has served him well over the past two decades and will continue to serve him in the future.