It's been nearly six months since we've premiered a song here on Deepest Currents, and really, due to extra-musical life responsibilities, we've stayed away from release-specific posts in general. But Sontag Shogun x Lau Nau's upcoming album on Beacon Sound, titled Valu Sirotuu, is something special. We simply could not turn down the opportunity to premiere a song from this extraordinary work. Leikkikalu, the new single out just this morning, is a document dedicated to the summer these friends spent playing, creating, and dreaming together. It's a washed out Polaroid - a fading reminder of an unforgettably magical moment.
Photo provided by label.
If Leikkikalu is indeed a snapshot, you'll catch a Baltic seascape in the background. Beats the hell out of a dirty old cabin. Laura Naukkarinen (who records as Lau Nau) invited Jesse Perlstein, Jeremy Young, and Ian Temple (of Sontag Shogun) to her home country of Finland for a few weeks, and they traveled out to the island of Kimitoön. While there, they wrote and recorded together, but also did a fair amount of playing and adventuring. Across the album you can feel both light joy and deep love through their music, and the captured sounds woven into their compositions signal the importance of place in the group's creative process. Leikkikalu emerges after a lively introductory track, and the song opens with smeared strings before ethereal vocals are layered atop the drone. Piano and acoustic guitar join the mix as the track builds towards a magnificent climax - the four musicians playing as one. And seconds before the song's end, the music drops away. We're left with only quiet conversation and soft laughter, a reminder that beauty surrounds us, wherever we may be. Hear the song for yourself below.
Valu Sirotuu is one of the best albums of the year so far, and perhaps this writer's favorite Beacon Sound release to date. And that's really saying something. Leikkikalu is only a sneak peek, but today would be a great time to preorder the album on Bandcamp. It will be out in full on April 8th, which can't come soon enough. A big thanks to the label and artists for sharing such wonderful music with us all.
*Cover photo taken by Jeremy Young.