Description
Label Review.
2017 album.
Our Overview.
Spellbinding New Zealand folk songstress Aldous Harding has released her sophomore album ‘Party’. The goose-bump inducing artist has been touring the globe on the coattails of her stunning self-titled debut record, and last year made a stop in Bristol where she worked with renowned producer John Parish (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Sparklehorse) on her highly anticipated forthcoming sophomore effort.
An artist of rare calibre, Aldous Harding does more than sing; she conjures a singular intensity. Her debut release with 4AD, Party introduced a new pulse to the stark and unpopulated dramatic realm where the likes of Kate Bush and Scott Walker reside. The album drew attention and accolades from some of the most illustrious corners of the music industry, receiving 4 stars in MOJO and Uncut, while UK blog The 405 hailed her a “toweringly talented song writer”.
Articulating her ambitions for ‘Party’ to Parish was a galvanising process for Harding, met with stunning results. The pair developed a near non-verbal shorthand, audibly evident in a raft of musical contributions from Parish. Alongside such special guests as Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas (having worked with Parish and toured with Aldous, it only took asking once), there is an exhilarating sense of risk throughout the record as Harding’s muscular wingspan extends. Teased out with inflections of experimental instrumentation and arrangements; ‘Party’ is always anchored by Aldous’s intimidating command of her own songs.
Renowned for the captivating state of possession she occupies in live performance, Aldous Harding has won crowds the world over playing alongside Deerhunter, Frankie Cosmos and Perfume Genius, as well as to hoards of eager crowds at SXSW, Festival Les Indisciplinées, Rolling Stone Weekender, Visions Festival, The Great Escape, Golden Plains and more. Aldous’ 2017 touring schedule spans Europe, the US and the United Kingdom for much of the year, with Green Man, End of the Road Festival, Latitude Festival, Nelsonville Music Festival and more on the horizon.