A totally slept-on first quarter release from all-around good musician Aidan Baker. And when I say slept-on, I chuckle because I found this hiding underneath my mattress where I open all my mail. I like to experience all of my life’s pleasures from my bed, like a reverse Brian Wilson. Anyway, Baker is joined by Claire Brentnall for Delirious Things. I wish I could make another fine joke about going hysterical from repeated listens, but the only thing making me delirious is how robust Baker’s talents are. There is no idea and form of instrumentation that proves an obvious obstacle between Baker’s creativity and its final delivery. So much so, his inclusion of Brentnall as a vocal component of this album’s gothic interpretations is another fine choice. Brentnall, one half of dark pop outfit Shield Patterns, has the airy eerieness necessary to bring out that exact component of Delirious Things. I doubt Baker would want a comparison to Jack White (whose grandiosity overshadows his ability to pick the right people and vocalists to capture a feeling as well as a sound), but it’s an apt one when you delve well below the surface. Next thing we know Baker’s going to turn his label, Broken Spine, into a big brand and clog up record pressing plants all across North America. In which case, all vinyl will become its own delirious thing. In the meantime, I’ll stick to my elegantly dark copy of Delirious Things and hope my drool hasn’t hardened in the grooves.
More about: Aidan Baker & Claire Brentnall
