It Starts With a Birthstone - 200 Albums for 2024 # 22 Tapir ! The Pilgrim Their God & the King of My Decrepit Mountain.

 

 People need escape. Release from the constant pressures and stresses they're having to deal with and endure. Withstand.  From their bosses. Their spouses. Their mortgages. Energy bills. Its tough out there. Unrelenting. Who can blame them.

Where do they escape to. To the pub. The beach,.Cinema. Football. TV. On Thursday evening at a loose end I switched on my TV. And instead of opting for my streaming services, looking for a film like I usually do I turned on the terrestrial service to see what BBC had to offer before the news.

I found myself watching The Traitors, the latest hype reality sensation they're all talking about. At least in the Sainsbury's I shop at. I realised on Thursday pretty much immediately that it wasn't for me. Hunger Games in the living room, Brave New World. 1984. Feelies. Hate Week. Mass stimulation. Mass manipulation.People I didn't know but was being asked to pretend that I did. I didn't really like it in short.

Perhaps I'm taking this all too seriously. Ir's all just a bit of fun I hear you say. But every third programme is a reality show now. They all work on similar principles from what I can see though some are more pleasant and engaging than others.

 But they're all based on the principle of competition and I'm tired of competition. It's not the only approach available to us. I'd rather see a bit more collaboration personally. And they're talking about a citizen's army and the evelasting war like the one in The Book of Revelations on Question Time so forgive me for taking this all seriously. .

I go for music and writing on here for my escape and release for the most part. On Friday morning I turned to South London's Tapir! for consolation.I got what I was looking for. I found pleasure and collaboration with a single objective in mind.. Tapir!'s debut album is The Pigrim Their God & the King of My  Decrepit Mountain. And it's a source of considerable beauty, wonder, invention and imagination. Generosity

I've been waiting to hear this record since last May. That's when I caught the band by chance in a support slot with The Golden Dregs at Cluny 2 in The Ouseburn Valley. I was won over. Enchanted frankly. The record is promise realised. I'd rather listen to it and explore than watch reality shows.

Like Aldous Huxley Tapir! look to Shakespeare's Tempest for inspiration. The record's a concept and it's out now on the ever constant Heavenly label. It's epiphany enough for me. I won't trouble you with further reference points though I was pleasantly surprised to be reminded of Grizzly Bear at times. Always a happy reminder. Discover the Tapir ! Eden experience for yourself.