When I was eight years old, a haunting and magical book appeared at the library and changed my life forever. That book was The Carnival Ghost, an early entry into the Sweet Valley Twins Super Chillers (imagine creepy, “bloody” red letters here) series of YA “twins gettin’ scared” novels. Unshockingly, this book was about a creeeepy carnival haunted by a fetching dark-haired young ghost woman with a super-pretty long white dress with a blue ribbon sash. Apart from the fact that she was totally evil, she was PRETTY AWESOME. I mean, she got to haunt a carnival forever, while wearing fly threads, and so basically this fictional ghost person became my life role model the first day I ever read that book.
Marissa Nadler’s new album is effectively this concept brought to life. The Boston-based chanteuse’s sixth album, July, is set for a February 4 release on Sacred Bones in the US, and a February 10 release on Bella Union in the UK. Recorded at Avast Studio in Seattle with Randall Dunn (Earth, sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room) and featuring Eyvand Kang (strings), Steve Moore (synths), and Phil Wandscher (guitar), July has that same haunting, ethereal, dusty Depression-era carnival quality that characterizes Nadler’s best work, but the lyrics on the new album set her firmly on the modern highways and fluorescent-lit hotels of the modern carnival ghost, er, touring musician. You can preview new track “Dead City Emily” online. No dates yet, apart from a late November stop at Rough Trade in Brooklyn.
July tracklisting:
01. Drive
02. 1923
03. Firecrackers
04. We Are Coming Back
05. Dead City Emily
06. Was It a Dream
07. I’ve Got Your Name
08. Desire
09. Anyone Else
10. Holiday In
11. Nothing in My Heart
Date:
11.30.13 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade
• Marissa Nadler: http://marissanadler.com
• Sacred Bones: http://sacredbonesrecords.com
• Bella Union: http://bellaunion.com
More about: Marissa Nadler