by Phil Scarisbrick

(Illustration by Alex Graham)

Freshly signed to the behemothic indie label, Sub Pop, the legendary Boise-based group are about to release their first album in seven years. When the Wind Forgets Your Name came to life after a live collaboration with Brazilian artists – producer Le Almeida, and his long-time collaborator, João Casaes, both of the psychedelic jazz rock band, Oruã. Doug Martsch enjoyed the experience so much that it led to his eighth longplayer coming to life. The band have been previewing the record with a series of singles, the latest of which is entitled Fool’s Gold. 

Coming complete with a hilarious Jordan Minkoff-directed video, the track combines layers of lo-fi, reverb-drenched guitars with Martsch’s Neil Young-evoking vocal exclaiming ‘I’m gonna, keep trying’. The addition of flashes of strings and glockenspiel add to the captivating dynamic, with a ‘dueling banjo’ style guitar solo bringing the track to a close. There is so much going on that it demands repeated listens to make sense of what is happening, and to peel back the layers.

We have to wait until 9th September to hear When the Wind Forgets Your Name in full, and on this evidence, it can’t come soon enough.