SOTD #95 // S. Carey: 'In The Dirt'

When it comes to the story behind an album, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago has to be one of the most told in recent years. While we all know the tale of Justin Vernon’s self-imposed isolation to exorcise the demons of a relationship break up, anyone who’s had the pleasure of seeing Bon Iver live will know that a bearded cabin-dweller does not maketh the band.

A staple of the Bon Iver set is a straight up cover of Talk Talk’s sublime ‘I Believe in You’, with Sean Carey taking lead vocals from behind his drum kit. This year he continues to lead from the back as he releases an album under his own name, recorded over a couple of years in between touring duties with Vernon and co.

‘In The Dirt’ is a showcase of what to expect on Carey’s debut long player. With it’s dancing, arpeggio piano line, hand-clap rhythms and vocals of close harmonies and mismatched double tracking it’s a warm breeze of a track which draws comparison to the likes of modern classicists such as Efterklang or Balmorhea.

It’s effortless approach to simple, delicate yet affecting orchestrations and off-kilter stactaco rhythms are little surprise when you look at the heritage and influences of Carey. ‘In The Dirt’ lets us dip a toe into an album which will surely prove that Sean Carey need not sit in the shadows of band mates.

SOTD #95 // S. Carey: ‘In The Dirt’