{"title":"The Natvral","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"a-portrait-of-sylvie-vartan","title":"A Portrait of Sylvie Vartan","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Natvral (Kip Berman, former frontman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) shares \"A Portrait of Sylvie Vartan,” his first physical release since his 2021 debut LP \u003ci\u003eTethers\u003c\/i\u003e. It is limited to 240 copies on pastel green vinyl, and the 2 tracks exclusive to this release ploughs similar territory to the debut album i.e Rolling Stone era Bob Dylan with a dash of Neil Young. About the track, Kip says, “‘A Portrait of Sylvie Vartan’ is about the allure and the limits of self-invention, and the ways we relate - or don’t - across oceans, language, and time.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Prefect Records","offers":[{"title":"Green | 7\"","offer_id":50422080864587,"sku":"1147423","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7c2372a3-69cb-4a8d-b36f-c2011d11efb6_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726762344"},{"product_id":"summer-of-no-light","title":"Summer of No Light","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Natvral (Kip Berman, former frontperson of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) returns with his second solo album, \u003ci\u003eSummer of No Light \u003c\/i\u003eon Dirty Bingo Records. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn his second album as The Natvral - a spirited, beautifully observed collection of rough and ready songcraft - the former Pains of Being Pure at Heart frontperson was eyeing the past while dealing with an inescapable present. In 2020, in the early stages of lockdown, Berman began writing songs that reflected on a world that had seemingly ended – while contending with the needs of his young family seeking solace in the familiar. “After putting my children to bed, I spent many a late night in the basement with my guitar and let my mind wander to the places where I could no longer go,” he says. “Initially, a lot of the songs were about getting as far away from the reality of my moment as possible.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe drew parallels with another tumultuous summer. “The record’s title, Summer of No Light, is taken from the climate crisis of 1816,” he says. Often referred to as The Year Without a Summer, that year a massive volcanic eruption in Indonesia darkened much of the world’s sky. The resulting ash brought dramatic global cooling and widespread famine, hitting Western Europe especially hard. While he initially sought escape from the isolation in which he found himself, soon the solace of home and family life began to seep its way into the music “The routines of domesticity were often unwelcome, and always exhausting - but probably mentally helpful. I was isolated, but not alone.” Despite the many graveyard romps that populate the record, it’s the moments that celebrate home that gives this album its heart.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSummer of No Light\u003c\/i\u003e is an album that’s born of a precise moment, yet revels in anachronism. Collapsing time to make a little bit of sense of this one, Berman feels artistically rejuvenated, drawing on histories large and small to breathe new life and perspective on his own. “It was a time that is now almost unspeakable – not because the tragedy was too profound or in any way trivial – but because we were all there.” \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dirty Bingo","offers":[{"title":"Green LP","offer_id":50443266752843,"sku":"2048673","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Summer_of_No_Light_359b6092_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727011705"},{"product_id":"tethers","title":"Tethers","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs the frontman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Kip Berman wrote songs about the thrills and ills of young adult life with the care and concern of a cool older sibling. Enter \u003ci\u003eTethers,\u003c\/i\u003e Berman’s first solo record as The Natvral, where Kip finds his new project more aligned with the sounds of Bob Dylan, Neil. Young, and his long time hero Leonard Cohen. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut in this time away from the life of a touring artist, Berman discovered an unvarnished, broken folk rock sound - a marked departure from his previous work. Recorded over 7 days with producer Andy Savours (My Bloody Valentine, Black Country New Road, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart), \u003ci\u003eTethers\u003c\/i\u003e is as raw in sound as it is nuanced and empathetic in its lyricism. Without effect pedals, overdubs or even a metronome, the resulting album feels free and unpretentious, recalling the strident obliqueness of Bob Dylan and Neil Young’s sonic primitivism - but drawn from a set of vividly detailed experiences all Berman’s own. Throughout, he is supported by former TPOBPAH collaborators Jacob Sloan (bass), Brian Alvarez (drums), Sarah Chihaya (backing vocals) and Crystal Stilts\/Woods Kyle Forester (organ).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dirty Bingo","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50500762304843,"sku":"1113777","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/db90c42b-4da4-49d6-8b56-a8e7fad9f235_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727779669"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/the-natvral.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}