{"title":"Downpilot","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"the-forecast","title":"The Forecast","description":"\u003cp\u003eDownpilot is ostensibly the solo project of singer \/ songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording\/mix engineer Paul Hiraga. For the last four albums, Hiraga has\nrecorded and mixed single-handedly, which has given his work a seasoned clarity, and his seventh album, \u003ci\u003eThe Forecast\u003c\/i\u003e, is the boldest, most exquisitely crafted\nDownpilot album to date. A trip across multiple decades with influences subtly ranging from the melodic Laurel Canyon-esque ballads (“Balancer”), to Baroque\nand Sunshine Pop of the late 60s and 70s (“Strangers Hotel”), to 90s Britpop (“Red Desert”), all with a 21st Century spin, it’s nothing less than an achievement that\n\u003ci\u003eThe Forecast\u003c\/i\u003e hangs together so wonderfully as a cohesive body of work. The crystalline intro to “Black Eye”, the album’s opener, showcases Hiraga’s voice,\nwhich has a richness and raspy expressiveness that has never sounded better than it does on this album. “Black Eye” is one of Hiraga’s finest songs to date with\none of the catchiest choruses in the Downpilot catalog. Hiraga has long been exploring a range of themes in his songwriting: the inevitability of change, the\nmystery and beauty of nature, the varied histories of places and people, the complexity of human relationships, and the uncertainty of the future. He is a\nSeattle-based artist, and the Pacific Northwest is a palpable presence – it has gotten into his blood, and it seeps into the songs. With the sparse and delightfully\nrhythmic “Totems,” he evokes the distant past of the region, interweaving it with individual and personal narratives. The intoxicated twang of “Night Shade”\nunderpins a lament on things lost, while shimmery guitar and three-part vocals on “Balancer” take a bow to CSN, making a layered bed for a poetic love song. The\nmelodic chorus of “Strangers Hotel,” a symphony of strings, piano, and obscure oddball keyboards underpins a philosophical exploration of memory and the\nnature of reality. One of the albums most exciting moments appears with “Red Desert,” a desolate urban vision with a transcendent violin from virtuoso Melinda\nRice, who contributes string parts on several songs. Hiraga has also included longtime Downpilot members Jeff Brown and Anne Marie Ruljancich (Walkabouts)\nalong with Terry de Castro (The Wedding Present) to add a few vocal nuances throughout the album, with Brown’s harmonies adding a soaring quality to\n“Favorite Neighborhood.” Ending with the title track, this may not be the sunniest of forecasts but it is not without hope. Ultimately this is a life-affirming album that\ndips effortlessly into different styles while maintaining Downpilot’s unmistakable musical identity. Loyal fans will not be disappointed, as the \u003ci\u003eThe Forecast\u003c\/i\u003e\ncontains plenty of signature sounds, themes, and motifs. But this new collection of superbly crafted pop songs could also open the field to new listeners.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50477393248587,"sku":"2008835","price":30.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/moNBsi1Q_05e6d925_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727471449"},{"product_id":"the-forecast-2","title":"The Forecast","description":"\u003cp\u003eDownpilot is ostensibly the solo project of singer\/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and recording\/mix engineer Paul Hiraga. For the last four albums, Hiraga has recorded and mixed single-handedly, which has given his work a seasoned clarity, and his seventh album, The Forecast, is the boldest, most exquisitely crafted Downpilot album to date. A trip across multiple decades with influences subtly ranging from the melodic Laurel Canyon-esque ballads (\"Balancer\"), to Baroque and Sunshine Pop of the late 60s and 70s (\"Strangers Hotel\"), to 90s Britpop (\"Red Desert\"), all with a 21st Century spin, it's nothing less than an achievement that The Forecast hangs together so wonderfully as a cohesive body of work. The crystalline intro to \"Black Eye\", the album's opener, showcases Hiraga's voice, which has a richness and raspy expressiveness that has never sounded better than it does on this album. \"Black Eye\" is one of Hiraga's finest songs to date with one of the catchiest choruses in the Downpilot catalog. Hiraga has long been exploring a range of themes in his songwriting: the inevitability of change, the mystery and beauty of nature, the varied histories of places and people, the complexity of human relationships, and the uncertainty of the future. He is a Seattle-based artist, and the Pacific Northwest is a palpable presence - it has gotten into his blood, and it seeps into the songs. With the sparse and delightfully rhythmic \"Totems,\" he evokes the distant past of the region, interweaving it with individual and personal narratives. The intoxicated twang of \"Night Shade\" underpins a lament on things lost, while shimmery guitar and three-part vocals on \"Balancer\" take a bow to CSN, making a layered bed for a poetic love song. The melodic chorus of \"Strangers Hotel,\" a symphony of strings, piano, and obscure oddball keyboards underpins a philosophical exploration of memory and the nature of reality. One of the albums most exciting moments appears with \"Red Desert,\" a desolate urban vision with a transcendent violin from virtuoso Melinda Rice, who contributes string parts on several songs. Hiraga has also included longtime Downpilot members Jeff Brown and Anne Marie Ruljancich (Walkabouts) along with Terry de Castro (The Wedding Present) to add a few vocal nuances throughout the album, with Brown's harmonies adding a soaring quality to \"Favorite Neighborhood.\" Ending with the title track, this may not be the sunniest of forecasts but it is not without hope. Ultimately this is a life-affirming album that dips effortlessly into different styles while maintaining Downpilot's unmistakable musical identity. Loyal fans will not be disappointed, as the The Forecast contains plenty of signature sounds, themes, and motifs. But this new collection of superbly crafted pop songs could also open the field to new listeners.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tapete","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50978464694603,"sku":"2009878","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_703ddd09_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1734275806"},{"product_id":"strange-horses-du","title":"Strange Horses","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a two decades of making albums, Downpilot's Paul Hiraga wonders: why would a songwriter write songs if not to make sense of the oddest or most difficult situations we may find ourselves in? With this latest release, “Strange Horses”, he attempts to address the challenges of living in a time of such rapid and mystifying change and its effects upon relationships, the physical world itself, and the unfathomable terrain of the psyche. His eighth LP is an expertly crafted and truly affecting collection of musical meditations with soundscapes ranging from luscious guitar pop, to intimate, studied Americana. Things kick off with a decisive twang in the compelling and existential opener, “Primitive Skin”, and thus begins a sonic exploration of varied moods, themes, and subjects. Whether we’re in the territory of interpersonal complexity (“Rose Paranoia”), changing landscapes (“Playground”), or the destructive and redemptive force of nature (“September Street”), we are on a ride to an undisclosed but intriguing destination. Each song is its own individual odyssey, and there is not a B-side in the bunch. “In the Air”, one of the album’s highlights, is a heartbreaking vignette about broken connections with a tender keyboard part that goes straight from the ear to the emotional core. The quirky rhythms and swirling synths of “You Never Fly” suggest the aftermath of a skyborne mystery, and the breezy dreaminess of “Loose Change” serves up a tinge of Latin-laced sunshine pop. Violinist Melinda Rice adds an appropriate ‘strangeness’ to the closing track, in a soaring and expansive finale. ”Strange Horses” was written, recorded and mixed by Hiraga himself (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass and drums) in Seattle and Whidbey Island WA, and features appearances by longtime collaborators Anne Marie Ruljancich (Walkabouts), Lars Plogschties, Terry de Castro (Wedding Present), Jeff Brown, and Melinda Rice, with newcomer Will Thomas (Dive Index) providing synth textures. Hiraga has never shied away from asking the ‘big’ questions, like ‘who are we?’ and ‘where did we come from?,’ but with this latest Downpilot album he attempts to offer up some answers: We are the strange horses. We come from another time.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tapete","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":57749554626891,"sku":"R6555-6643","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":57749554594123,"sku":"R6555-0019","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/1000x1000bb_e4708986-f59b-4484-8825-63f7ff39dce8.jpg?v=1782998043"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/downpilot.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}