This week feels like it’s been a particularly intense one, and that’s coming after a whole series of them. So in order to help us all self-soothe a bit – not only do we have a bonus exclusive KCRW Track Premiere for Cornelia Murr’s latest single “Who Am I to Tell You?” – we’ll be getting into a few other tracks that are gentle, and pretty. They should all serve as a perfect balm to send you toward whatever activities (and/or activism) you may find yourself engaging in this weekend from a place of zen.
Cornelia Murr – “Who Am I to Tell You?”
The forthcoming debut album from L.A. based Cornelia Murr Lake Tear of the Clouds has been described as “tapping into the bucolic spirit of the Hudson Valley in Upper New York State,” but most of it was recorded at Palomino Sound in Boyle Heights. That combination of hazy upstate retreat and laid back L.A. accessibility (Palomino Sound has a studio dog that is credited in the liner notes as providing spiritual support) is present throughout the jubilant bounce that accompanies the smart and introspective lyrics of this track. Though Murr is just now striking out on her own, she keeps very good company. Jim James of My Morning Jacket produced the album, and Devendra Banhart is such a huge fan that he had to go on the record with this quote:
“Cornelia Murr’s new album drifts through the room like a golden cloud, a subtle yet lush album, elegant and vibey… ‘Man on My Mind’ in particular has been filling the house with a bliss that only very few artists can conjure up!”
Needless to say we are quite honored to premiere “Who Am I to Tell You?”
You can pre-order the album here, and celebrate it’s release as Cornelia Murr performs live at the Bootleg Theater on July 20th.
Kadhja Bonet – “Delphine”
It’s been an unspoken rule around these parts that my pal and colleague Aaron Byrd and I would try not to feature the same artists too often, let alone two weeks in a row. But sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and this feels like exactly such an occasion to do so. Last week Aaron shared with you the title track from Kadhja Bonet’s excellent new album Childqueen noting that she “writes and sings as if she grew up in Laurel Canyon in the 1970s.” I one hundred percent co-sign that. In fact, just yesterday I spoke about another song of hers for WBUR’s Here and Now DJ Sessions (episode forthcoming), and I compared her to Joni Mitchell. That is not a comparison I make lightly. “Delphine” is a gorgeous ballad that will demonstrate just how incredible her range is as an artist.
Georgia Anne Muldrow – “Overload”
Muldrow opens this effervescent single by declaring “I’m on overload, overdrive, I’m overwhelmed…” Oh girl, did you ever just tap into the collective psyche of seemingly everyone in the entire world right now. Thankfully, this very chill song is here to offer you a nice bit of respite from feeling exactly that way.
Cornelia Murr header photo: Rachael Pony Cassells, carousel photo: Wyndham Boylan-Garnett