Saturday, October 17, 2020

Albums of The Year # 70 Alexandra Savior - The Archer

 From early January:


New year. New and pretty good record. Not entirely new, as Portland, Oregon's Alexandra Savior's latest The Archer draws on slightly worn tropes. Most obviously the legacy of David Lynch, who redefined a certain idea of modern, retro cool with Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks over three decades ago, mining a well which others have been relentlessly drawing on  ever since.


This kind of art is hardly without precedent. Lynch certainly didn't invent it. Nor would he have claimed to have done so for a moment. Watch Hitchcock, particularly Dial M for Murder through to Marnie. Or the Bond films. Nancy Sinatra. Tarantino. Portishead or Mazzy Star. More recently Mad Men, Arctic Monkeys latest record or Lara Del Rey. Silky, stylish, self contained and self absorbed.


Savior adds nothing in particular to this cultural legacy. The Archer rather, exists entirely, almost self-consciously within it. Not that this is a criticism, this is a very classy record in many respects and certainly much welcome right now given that we're not even halfway through January. Something that'll certainly keep you warm.


The Archer's worth will ultimately be gauged on the strength of its songs. At the moment, on second listening, my own jury is still out. It certainly has a glossy surface. Whether it has liquid beds demanding exploration the coming months will tell. Gets eight for now.

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