The Armoires

Octoberland

Big Stir Records

I want to live there, and with this Album of the Year. Why? Because it’s a place where creativity is valued, innovation is prized, and originality is paramount.

It’s creative and original to put the New Pornographers and Jefferson Airplane together, have the complex, yet clear and direct lyrics of the former, the harmonies of the latter, and the equally complex good vibes of both, even when the lyrics are as dark as “Rejoice” by the Airplane and “Adventures In Solitude” by TNP.

This is gentle indie rock by excellent musicians, with Larysa Bulbenko's violin and viola played like electric guitars, a perfect compliment to Rex Broome’s twin lead guitar playing. This is what indie rock should be like, even with bands that have a harder edge, as there is a lot of humanity here. Things are sometimes good, sometimes bad, like on “Music And Animals.” The songs ask: How do we get by in this world? How do navigate the unnavigable?

Of the many good albums released this year, I’ve heard enough to know this one is special. There is nothing quite like it. So if you want something truly different, something that is a refuge in a world where things aren’t always good, like on “Snake Island Thirteen,” about Ukraine, and  an election that will determine the fate of democracy, this is for you. If the election goes the right way, to Harris and Walz, and the war ends, and ends well for Ukraine, Octoberland will be something of a reality, and a great one.

Andrea Weiss