Toby Driver, he of Kayo Dot and so much more, has today announced a new solo album, Raven, I Know That You Can Give Me Anything. You can experience a rather brooding rather radiant first taste via Bandcamp right now, it has all those Driver trademarks we require, those Kayo Dot moods, not as foreboding as his band are but it is there in a slightly different form, it is a rather beautiful first taste…
“I know it’s been less than a week since They Are the Shield was re-released. But things are moving fast here. After a couple years of not releasing any of my own songs, performing 20th Anniversary actions with Kayo Dot, and being in the lab composing, recording, and generally working hard on getting to the next level musically, this season promises abundance. I was born in September. It’s my month!
So I’m thrilled to announce a new album of songs in the style of my 2016 dirger, Madonnawhore. This is the third album in the ballads series, and the first in five years, since 2018 when They Are the Shield almost killed me.” so says mr Driver
The new album is out on September 20th and the lineup “features myself on guitar, voice, and fretless bass, Ana Cristina Pérez on keys and voice, Sam Gutterman on drums, Terran Olson on flute, and Nick Hudson on backing vocals. What!!!!!”
You can listen to the first single and title track right now over at my Bandcamp page and pre-order the album. I’m also going to host a listening party on Bandcamp for the album next Thursday afternoon (Sept. 19) right before the album drop. We held one of those listening parties for Oak Lace Apparition’s release last month, and it was really a fun time, so please join for this one if you can. I’ll send a link for that via Bandcamp, so follow me over there” – That’s the word from Toby, that first track is up there at the top of the page, it is dare I say, sounding like Kayo Dot lite, that is to be taken as a good thing, a kind of Affectionate Friends thing (some of you will know what thet means)
Meanwhile if you haven’t checked out 2018’s They Are the Shield yet then it is something very very special indeed and it has just been re-issued
“They Are the Shield is Toby Driver’s second foray into atmospheric balladry, on the heels of 2016’s acclaimed Madonnawhore. This second album introduces the violin duet of String Noise (Pauline Kim Harris and Conrad Harris) and the jazz-influenced drumming of Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) to elevate the ballads into a more progressive territory, in contrast to Madonnawhore‘s blatant goth, while stil maintaining the emotional vulnerability shown on that album. Also featured is a guest appearance by Kelly Moran (Warp Records, FKA Twigs) performing the piano on The Knot.
Five years after its original release, the album that is considered by many to be one of the very best in Driver’s catalogue has received a fully analogue remix in the same recording studio where it was originally created. With the re-release of They Are the Shield, Toby Driver reclaims the spiritual and bodily ownership of this great work and puts it forward on a new path in the world. The remix and re-release was generously funded by 90 donors, without whom this wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you!” Find it on Bandcamp
Previously on these pages –
ORGAN THING: Fresh Kayo Dot, they’ve done it again, of course they have!
There is lots more coverage of course….
THE ORGAN 