17 hours ago
5
Vashti Bunyan’s reemergence might’ve been the first real miracle of the early-’00s freak-folk movement. The English folk musician Bunyan released her debut album Just Another Diamond Day in 1970, and when it didn’t sell, she disappeared from music and went off to raise her kids. Over the years, Just Another Diamond Day became a cult favorite and an inspiration to younger folk musicians like Devendra Banhart, who wrote to Bunyan to ask for advice. Pretty soon, Bunyan was working again, collaborating with artists like Bunyan and Animal Collective.
In 2005, a full 35 years after Just Another Diamond Day, the 60-year-old Vashti Bunyan released Lookaftering, her sophomore album. Bunyan recorded it with producer Max Richter, and younger admirers like Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart made contributions. It’s a lovely piece of work, and now it’s about to get a 20th-anniversary reissue with lots of previously unreleased music.
The 20th-anniversary expanded edition of Lookaftering is coming out just in time for Vashti Bunyan’s 80th birthday, and it includes a bonus disc of alternate versions, home-recorded demos, and tracks recorded live at a 2006 show in Los Angeles. The accompanying booklet has photos, extensive liner notes from the musicians involved, and paintings from Bunyan’s daughter Whyn Lewis. Below, check out the reissue’s tracklist, as well as Bunyan’s original 2001 “If I Were” demo.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Lately”
02 “Here Before”
03 “Wayward”
04 “Hidden”
05 “Against The Sky”
06 “Turning Backs”
07 “If I Were”
08 “Same But Different”
09 “Brother”
10 “Feet Of Clay”
11 “Wayward Hum”
12 “Lately” (live, 2006)
13 “Here Before” (demo, 2005)
14 “Wayward (alternative take, 2005)
15 “Hidden” (demo, 2002)
16 “Against The Sky” (demo, 2004)
17 “Turning Backs” (demo, 2003)
18 “If I Were” (demo, 2001)
19 “Same But Different” (demo, 2005)
20 “Brother” (demo, 2002)
21 “Feet Of Clay” (demo, 2002)
The expanded edition of Lookaftering is out 2/7 on FatCat.
English (US) · 