Stranger by Lionel O
Generally, pop albums show a few things about their makers: where they've been, where they are, and where they're going. I started thinking like this as a consequence of making this album. That's why it came out this way: the original version was a lot different, but at the last minute I had a change of heart. Facilitating that pivot was the fact that my computer crashed, and the few songs I hadn't backed up (and the changes I hadn't saved to the ones I had) got lost. It's just as well - I almost handed you a disingenuous album that attempted at "maturity" and "polish." Instead, I opted to make something more austere.
Every one of these songs had a pretty lengthy incubation period, but I hope you can't tell. That kind of thing doesn't really matter as long as the songs blow by and get caught between your ears.
There are some things I like about my writing, there are some things I'd like to shake, others I'd like to adopt. All three of those categories are all over this album. I hope that comes through on "Stranger" for you as it does for me, but maybe that comes with time.
Tracklist
| 1. | Kings Highway #3 | 2:46 |
| 2. | Etheline, the Sandbox Queen | 3:19 |
| 3. | When The Sheep Run Out | 2:18 |
| 4. | Lycanthrope | 4:30 |
| 5. | Yellow-Raincoat Girl | 3:20 |
| 6. | Her Diamond Tooth | 3:11 |
| 7. | La Sirenna | 3:57 |
| 8. | Cooperstown | 4:25 |
| 9. | I Wonder | 3:11 |
| 10. | Waltz (Yr Ghost) | 3:54 |
Credits
I played, wrote, and recorded everything you hear on this record. Writing happened from February of '08 to January of '09, and recording happened in two chunks: November of '08 and then two months later. Kemi Gbadebo shot the cover, and Jesse Montgomery made the whole thing look like album art. Recording happened in SLP, album art in Oberlin. In addition to Kemi and Jesse, I'd also like to thank Mom, Dad, Meade, Farah, Lauren, Bill Fox, the Goldsteins, Per Bloland, Meagan Day, The Pianos, and you.
