Ariel Pink: The Doldrums Vinyl 2LP

Ariel Pink didn’t pass off his meticulously hand-drawn CD-Rs to just anybody, only those he came across who he thought might “get it”. So when, during a chance encounter on a tour stop, Pink deemed the members of Animal Collective worthy of a copy (which they discarded onto the floor of their van, miraculously rediscovered later in the tour and promptly signed him to their Paw Tracks label), his life and audience instantly got a whole lot bigger. On first listen, this might not register as being very different from any of his other pre-4AD records, especially if you’re starting with his modern work and moving backwards. But upon closer inspection, The Doldrums finds AP in highly rare form, eschewing the goof-off pop and classic rock parodies found on adjacent albums for stone-faced reveries about love, longing, childhood and Kate Bush, tucked under thick, hazy layers of dreamlike synths, bass, 3-string guitar and Ariel’s patented ‘mouth drums’, recorded entirely at home with Ariel tracking all instruments into his 8-track cassette recorder. This newly remastered and expanded edition - part of the exhaustive Ariel Archives series - preserves the original unheard stereo mixes of the album, which were sadly bounced to mono for the original Paw Tracks release, allowing you to fully absorb the density of the production. UK rock critic Simon Reynolds called it his 2nd favorite album of the decade (he provides the liner notes here), and with this new master and expanded presentation, its easy to see how this is one of the most influential albums of the 00s. Includes the full original tracklist spread out over two LPs, including several tracks which were left off of all previous vinyl editions, full color printed inner sleeves, printed insert and obi strip. Highlights include: “For Kate I Wait,” “Good Kids Make Bad Grown-Ups,” “Young Pilot Astray,” “The Ballad Of Bobby Pyn,” “Strange Fires,” “Among Dreams” and “Envelopes Another Day.” Highly recommended!

• black double vinyl pressing
• first time this album is available in stereo, remastered from the original cassette mixdowns
• includes obi strip, printed inner sleeves, and a 12x12 insert with liner notes
• digital download included
• limited edition
• part of the Ariel Archives reissue series
• music label: Mexican Summer 2020

reviewed by yung pilot astray 05/2020