{"title":"Year Seven","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"darkness-brings-the-wonders-home","title":"Darkness Brings the Wonders Home","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the making of their new album \u003ci\u003eDarkness Brings The Wonders Home\u003c\/i\u003e, Smoke Fairies drew inspiration from mysteries both real and imagined: sea monsters, flocks of crows taking flight in extravagant formation, strange creatures dwelling in the mud near their new South London abode. With their mesmeric vocal presence and starkly poetic lyrics, singer \/ multi-instrumentalists Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies embed all that odd magic into songs that speak to the realities of modern times - isolation, insomnia, an overall unease with the state of the world - and ultimately uncover an unlikely sense of hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Black Angels, The Shins), \u003ci\u003eDarkness Brings The Wonders Home\u003c\/i\u003e merges Smoke Fairies’ musings and meditations with a decidedly guitar-driven sound, the duo’s unearthly harmonies endlessly floating atop lead-heavy riffs. Over the course of a rigorous month-long session in Seattle, Smoke Fairies adopted a purposely intimate approach to achieving that singular sonic tone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile Smoke Fairies initially intended to return to the earthy folk of early work like 2011’s \u003ci\u003eThrough Low Light and Trees\u003c\/i\u003e, the duo soon found themselves assuming a new boldness in their guitar style and, in turn, pushing into much wilder terrain. In doing so, Blamire and Davies spent much of their time perusing the guitar shop near Ek’s chosen studio, experimenting with countless guitars and amps to augment the album’s sonic palette. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOpening with \u003ci\u003eOn the Wing, Darkness Brings The Wonders Home\u003c\/i\u003e quickly proves the power of matching that pummeling guitar work with Smoke Fairies’ finespun songwriting. With its woozy intensity and spellbinding rhythms, the song also introduces one of the album’s most prominent themes: the often-futile attempts at true connection at a time when the most impetuous behavior tends to prevail. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn album deeply informed by aberrations of nature, \u003ci\u003eDarkness Brings The Wonders Home\u003c\/i\u003e delves into a different kind of fascination on \u003ci\u003eOut of the Woods\u003c\/i\u003e—a song sparked from Smoke Fairies’ study of the overgrown pond behind their house. Another song attuned to the fear of the unknown, the hypnotically ominous \u003ci\u003eChew Your Bones\u003c\/i\u003e mines inspiration from the titular beast of Sarah Perry’s novel The Essex Serpent and from a local urban myth involving a character called The Croydon Cat Killer. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite its many wanderings into otherworldly territory,\u003ci\u003e Darkness Brings The Wonders Home\u003c\/i\u003e remains rooted in real-life anxieties, particularly on tracks like the fluttering and urgent \u003ci\u003eDon’t You Want to Spiral Out of Control.\u003c\/i\u003e Throughout \u003ci\u003eDarkness Brings The Wonders Home\u003c\/i\u003e, Smoke Fairies adorn their observations with so many exquisite flourishes: the swinging melodies and elegant shredding of \u003ci\u003eElevator\u003c\/i\u003e, the girl-group harmonies and spiky riffs of \u003ci\u003eDisconnect\u003c\/i\u003e, the delicate tension between taut guitar lines and swooning vocals on \u003ci\u003eChocolate Rabbit\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Smoke Fairies, \u003ci\u003eDarkness Brings The Wonders Home\u003c\/i\u003e signals a strengthening of the inextricable bond they’ve forged through the years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Year Seven","offers":[{"title":"CD.","offer_id":50390934782283,"sku":"1076655","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50390929637707,"sku":"1076651","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Gold | LP","offer_id":50390933504331,"sku":"1076652","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390935798091,"sku":"1076645","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4d71cdec-e37f-48dc-906c-c37a5d603bbd_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726396194"},{"product_id":"singles","title":"Singles","description":"\u003cp\u003eSmoke Fairies release a new ‘Singles’ compilation via their own Year Seven Records.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe band first entered a recording studio to record their debut single 'Living with Ghosts' in 2008, since then school friends Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire have penned and recorded 18 singles as part of their incredible body of work. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis collection of singles is released on double-LP and CD and comprises all singles the band have released since that debut 7”. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSingles\u003c\/i\u003e also features for the first time on CD and on an album the tracks 'Gastown’ and ‘River Song’, these Jack White produced tunes were originally released on double a-side 7” as one of Third Man Records’ infamous Blue Series with Jack joining the band on drums and guitar, the tracks have been live favourites and copies of the limited edition 7” still change hands for £100s of pounds. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Year Seven","offers":[{"title":"Clear | LP | x2","offer_id":50417026761035,"sku":"1156130","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP | x2","offer_id":50417027350859,"sku":"1156129","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50417027154251,"sku":"1156128","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ce4dabf7-68f6-49d2-9611-2674ac4bbab2_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1726714391"},{"product_id":"carried-in-sound","title":"Carried In Sound","description":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing on from the release of their highly-praised 2020 LP \u003cem\u003eDarkness Brings Wonders Home\u003c\/em\u003e, which was applauded by the likes of Mojo, Clash Magazine, Q and many more, alt-folk duo \u003cstrong\u003eSmoke Fairies\u003c\/strong\u003e return once again to release their sixth studio album \u003cem\u003eCarried In Sound\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eContinuing to pursue more of that warm and ethereal aesthetic the pair have cultivated since their earliest beginnings, lead cut \"\u003cem\u003eVanishing Line\u003c\/em\u003e\" makes for a wonderfully warm and emotive introduction to their next full-length release. A sense of inner strength dominates the new record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn keeping with the times that bore it, ‘Carried In Sound’ isn’t afraid to discuss darkness – but everywhere there is a longing for light. “Although the album has themes of sadness on there, it’s looking at those things from a place of strength,” says Jessica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn \u003cem\u003eCarried In Sound\u003c\/em\u003e the duo prove themselves to be utterly self-reliant, moving through a pandemic, home recording, and true independence to forge something completely faithful to their ambitions. Recorded in a terrace house with the volume dialled down to protect the neighbours, the results have a curiously intimate, hushed appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA record that feels remarkably self-contained, ‘Carried In Sound’ is truly special, marked by audio invention, and a desire to speak nothing but the truth. A break from their former work, the album carries a very unique form of magic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Year Seven","offers":[{"title":"Blue LP | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":50452727955787,"sku":"2055648","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Orange LP","offer_id":50452727791947,"sku":"2055644","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50452727529803,"sku":"2055628","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Smoke_Fairies_Carried_In_Sound_packshot-no-text_77f5f6b1_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727162146"},{"product_id":"through-low-light-and-trees","title":"Through Low Light and Trees","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe debut Smoke Fairies album recorded at Sawmills studio in Cornwall with producer Head (best known for his work with PJ Harvey) at the controls, \u003ci\u003eThrough Low Light and Trees\u003c\/i\u003e is an exquisitely shivery blend of alternative folk-rock and a more humid, bluesy brand of americana, a sound both eerily ancient and thrillingly modern, with beautifully interlocking harmonies and guitar parts behind the spectral melodies. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Year Seven","offers":[{"title":"Green | LP","offer_id":50469816861003,"sku":"1127107","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/fe566c3b-e3eb-4926-a2af-12026d4ffced_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727367997"},{"product_id":"wild-winter-10th-anniversary","title":"Wild Winter 10th Anniversary","description":"\u003cp\u003e10th Anniversary re-issue of \u003cem\u003eSmoke Fairies\u003c\/em\u003e’ seasonally themed masterpiece \u003cem\u003eWild Winter\u003c\/em\u003e. Ten seasonal tracks from \u003cstrong\u003eSmoke Fairies\u003c\/strong\u003e including \"\u003cem\u003eChristmas Without A Kiss\u003c\/em\u003e,\" \"\u003cem\u003e3 Kings\u003c\/em\u003e,\" and Handsome Family cover \"\u003cem\u003eSo Much Wine\u003c\/em\u003e\" and their version of \u003cem\u003eCaptain Beefheart\u003c\/em\u003e’s \"\u003cem\u003eSteal Softly Thru Snow\u003c\/em\u003e.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSmoke Fairies\u003c\/strong\u003e (Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies) explained: \"We have a love\/hate relationship with winter and the Christmas holiday. When it was suggested \u003cstrong\u003eSmoke Fairies\u003c\/strong\u003e make a Christmas album the last thing we wanted to do was make a classic, jolly, celebratory album that can only be played once a year. Sometimes winter provides us with a sense of togetherness and love and sometimes it leaves us feeling alienated, cold, and playing a glockenspiel alone in a darkened room. It's part of the year that will always be bittersweet and wild. This was the inspiration behind the record. We got together with our band, played around with the songs a few times then headed off to the studio to record them all live. It's buzzy and raw and not one tinkling of sleigh bells can be heard.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"The result is a record that very much is its own world. Where chaos is carefully organized, where being able to ever actually chill out is totally illusory, a trick mirror.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Year Seven","offers":[{"title":"White LP","offer_id":50784938623307,"sku":"2232000","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/unnamed_16_8c16e685_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1731083293"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/year-seven.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}