There are a few artists that have such an impact on me that simply hearing news that a new release by them is imminent will move me to girlish squeals and find my eyes glistening with tears of excitement. It might not be cool to admit but I've found myself in this euphoric state of pure music geekery a number of times in the past few days, as the coming months will feature releases from such favorites as Okkervil River (Whose new song Clay previewed yesterday here), Fleet Foxes, John Vanderslice, RFC favorites Lightning Love, and from-my-own-backyard darlings Gun Lake, but perhaps none of these releases are as exciting to me as Salt Year, the newest release from Ann Arbor, Michigan's Chris Bathgate.
It's strange and sacrilegious for me to admit that Bathgate's forthcoming album is the 2011 release I'm looking forward to most. You see, were I to write an autobiography, an apt title would be "Confessions of an Okkervil River Superfan". To say I'm in love with the prospect of Gun Lake's debut is an understatement, as any of my friends can tell you that nary a day goes by that I don't champion the folk quartet. As for Lightning Love? Few bands have managed to encapsulate my life in lyrics like Leah Diehl has and that fact has found the blonde indie popsters perched high atop any and all lists of my favorite modern bands. That being said, at the end of the day, the ought-eleven release I'm most excited for is Bathgate's Salt Year. It might be the fact that I've recently moved to Bathgate HQ Ann Arbor, Michigan or it might be the fact that Bathgate's latest press materials call Salt Year "an album about love versus time" which has appealed to my better nature. For all I know, it might be the fact that the longer I live with Bathgate's music, the more I have, unbeknownst to myself, fallen in love with his works. Regardless of the why, the fact remains that Bathgate's latest shows all the markings of a musician about to gain notoriety on a national level. From his impossibly smooth voice to his remarkable folk arrangements that meld traditional influences with modern sensibilities, Bathgate is a musican who only gets better with age and the lead song off Salt Year, "No Silver", is undeniable proof of that.
The heartbreakingly beautiful single can be downloaded here for free, via Bathgate's website. The story behind the song, which will give you an incredible level of appreciation for the track, is up on My Old Kentucky Blog and is a must read. As for Salt Year, the album will hit the shelves of internet music retailers everywhere on April 26th - A mere two weeks before Okkervil River's latest. Are you as excited as I am for 2011?
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