Following on from their recent release ‘persimmon‘ – an exquisite blend of ethereal guitar sounds and tender mellifluous vocals – multi-instrumentalist Andy Schiaffino aka body / negative has shared their latest single ‘everett’. The eponymous track from their upcoming album, which is set for release on 8th December via Track Number Records, ‘everett’ is a delicately distorted, glistening piece of ambient shoegaze, featuring “kindred collaborator” Madeline Johnston aka Midwife.
Mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott, body / negative’s third record Everett is a poetic rumination on love and loss, and how they deeply affect our interactions with the world. Dedicated to Schiaffino’s late mother and father, the album features contributions from Randall Taylor aka Amulets and Midwife, whose studio Schiaffino was initially supposed to occupy as a residency. Schiaffino’s plans changed imminently when their father was suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness, and as a result, most of the album was written and recorded while they looked after him in a hospice. This single ‘everett’ is one of the first tracks Schiaffino and Midwife worked on together, and it glimmers with bittersweet melancholy.
Underscored by a deep vulnerability and empathy, Everett is a remarkable effort from an artist in acute pain. By recording through a hand-held tape recorder and filtering their vocals through a landline-style microphone, they give the record a familiar, yet far-off feeling of transience and disconnected communication. Tracing over their grief with meticulous care and tranquility, body / negative lulls listeners into a state of bittersweet calm across each of Everett‘s eight tracks.
The new single is accompanied by a glitchy video which shows body / negative performing alongside Midwife, interspersed with images of the outside world. Watch the visuals for ‘everett’ below.
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Photo Credit: Audrey Kemp
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