Last week, Harper – also known as the bedroom-pop project of Matthew and Sadie Groves – released their stunning debut album The Mother Root. Though the Leicester, UK based duo’s debut ultimately navigates through a wealth of “moments” – moments of “anxiety about self-worth,” moments of “strength found through companionship,” and moments of “everyday life that have a lasting impact and make us who we are” – there is a radiant cohesiveness to the album that ultimately gestures toward a feeling of hope and warmth, and this is only expressed further through their compositions.
One of our favorite tracks, “Bug Crusher,” is on the more expansive, atmospheric side, with hazy vocals and an emphasis on synth and percussion evoking the elusive bliss of The Bilinda Butchers and the crystallized joy of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Although the track is bright and nostalgic, it is direct in its narrative, detailing a focus on resilience following a destructive relationship. Even the reference to being crushed like a bug is ironic in and of itself, considering most insects, the beetle, for instance, can withstand a force of about 39,000 times its body weight; to be “crushed like a bug,” funnily enough, is a compliment in disguise, a nod towards one’s own resilience.
The Mother Root is out now.
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photo courtesy of artist
kid with a vinyl 