The post woman arrives and there’s a small package for me. I have a few things on order and, being me, I often lose track of what they are. It’s clearly an album, sent from Royal Oakie Records, Oakland, California. I often buy direct from artists because they make more money that way, but what is this? I open the package and it’s an eponymous album called Strange Pilgrim. Hmm. That doesn’t ring a bell. Let me have a quick Google. No, that’s not much help. But then, as if by magic, I go to the bandcamp website and it all becomes clear. I now remember ordering it, but I don’t know how I found it. I’m glad I did.
Strange Pilgrim is actually Josh Barnhart. I didn’t know that when I ordered the record but it hardly matters. He used to be ‘the drummer of acclaimed indie band Port O’Brien’, says Bandcamp, which is another band I’ve never heard of, but doubtless I will soon become familiar with their work and end up buying some of their stuff too. And that’s because this album is absolutely fantastic.
It won’t be among my favourite albums of 2023 on the grounds that it didn’t come out in 2023 and has been knocking around for the best part of three years.
There are so many good tracks on the album but it strikes me that the absolute stand-out is Salt and Seagulls, which kind of washes all over you (or it does me, anyway). It so appeals to me because I love laid back, jingle-jangle guitars and gorgeous harmonies and this record is stuffed with them.
Anyway, that’s $15 dollars, plus postage, well spent. I love it.
