The Secrets of 'Gardens'

 Fancy some fragrant respite from non-stop insanity and evil? Here's my essay on Virginia Astley's ambient cult classic From Gardens Where We Feel Secure, the British tradition of rhapsodic pastoralism, and the post-postpunk microtrend for Wide Brimmed Hat Pop. Part of Pitchfork's 'Sunday Review' series of appreciations of lost classics and significant albums they never covered because, well, the magazine didn't, exist yet, did it?

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Still flying the Wide Brimmed Hat Flag in 1988

beautiful daze in the neighborhood

One for the parishioners - my essay for The Nation on Ernest Hood's enchanting 1975 album Neighborhoods, recently reissued by Freedom To Spend. As well as getting the back story in fascinating detail from the late Hood's son Tom, it was an enjoyable opportunity to think about the changing nature of neighbourhood and neighbourliness  during my lifetime. 

Come zither - Ernest Hood strumming and plucking his primary instrument, alongside the Crumar Orchestrator strings-keyboard