Listen: Library Tapes

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To soothe your jittery heart from its So Co and Sparks bender.

New York City, you've had an exhausting week, but breathe easy with the Library Tapes.

The Sweden invasion may have slowed as of late, but it's nice to discover more Scandinavian music that invites curiosity to its treasures. Sweden seems like a vast country that is full of delight, represented by its blossoming pop scene, and a place of desolation represented by the dark forests of The Knife and the quiet windy tundra of Library Tapes.

Jolting right? Such classically influenced music might seem out of place here at Impose, but I was moved to post this after heeding the words of another writer:

It is so gratifying to find a record that is so full of subtlety. Often, modern music is almost too immediate. Listeners and musicians alike have become accustomed to music that is more about functions of melody or tempo or simple loud-soft dynamics; a lot of good music has come out of this trend, from jazz to metal to electronic to most of what we affectionately call “post-rock.” For me, though, it's nice to find a modern artist that hints at the classical roots of Western music with meticulous harmonies and dynamics that can be called “mezzo-” or “-issimo.” The bottom line is that Library Tapes has offered up a record that surprised me.

—Lee Stablein of The Silent Ballet

Big Ups to Lee. You fucking stuck the landing, my friend (No McCain).

Library Tapes, “The Rivers Turned to Cobblestone”