WLUW Album Recommendations 10/16

Christo Graham – “Music For Horses”

Canadian singer-songwriter Christo Graham returns to the scene with his third studio album “Music for Horses.” While performing in the play “Grand Magic,” by Italian playwright and poet Eduardo di Filippo, Graham fell in love with the Italian-English translation. 

These translations inspired much of the tongue-in-cheek wordplay present in “Music For Horses.”

“So many things keepin things keepin other things to / feet keepin time and I’m keepin fine keepin time with you / keep in mind I’m not talkin about keepin you / from anythin,” Graham sings.

Through songs like “Hunker Down,” “Pancakes and Eggs” and “Hilltop Coffee Stop,” Christo Graham transports his listeners to a serene countryside — or perhaps a cozy cabin in the woods — where the stress of modern life is out of reach.

Erisy Watt – “not either or but everything”

On her third album, “not either or but everything,” Erisy Watt pushes her nomadic lifestyle to the forefront of her lyricism. After suffering a breakup and the death of a loved one, Watt moved between regions of Thailand and Indonesia in 2023, soon returning to the U.S. to move from Portland to Los Angeles, according to Watt’s website.

On “not either or but everything,” Watt demonstrates a harmonious relationship with the natural world around her — a relationship stemming from her occupation as an environmental scientist. 

Watt’s song “Rachel” is heavily inspired by Rachel Carson, a writer and biologist, who bridges the gap between the creative and natural worlds just as Watt herself does.

“Oh how to explain it, the words fall short / No sound from my mouth, will sum up the worth / Of the sandhill crane, the hard rain on the roof / Or the call to prayer, but you’re looking for proof / And it’s all there in the wings / The flight, the fall, the landing / The magic, the tragedy / Not either or, but everything,” Carson sings on “Sandhill Crane.”

Half Waif – “See You At The Maypole”

“See You At The Maypole” is the hard-hitting fourth album by synth-pop artist Half Waif. After experiencing a miscarriage in 2021, Half Waif — aka Nandi Rose —  began crafting “See You At The Maypole” in the would-be nursery of her unborn child, according to a press release. 

“I love you when it’s snowing / I love you when it’s warm / I felt it growing in me / And now everything is gone,” Rose proclaims on “Figurine.”
“See You At The Maypole” is bursting with transcendental synth melodies and poignant vocals. Rose’s melodies emerge as a collective calling for anyone experiencing their own personal winter. “See You At The Maypole” holds space for those in need — not just for catharsis but for connection.