The new HEM project, Funnel Cloud, is not due to be released until next Tuesday. But, somehow iTunes made a mistake for a few hours this morning and posted the files. I snatched them up immediately. It is a wonderful collection of thoughtful tunes, provocative lyrics, and richly layered arrangements. If you were to cross Aaron Copeland's Appalachian Spring and Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Sessions with Allison Kraus and Union Station's Live and Mozart's Woodwind Concertos you'd come close to describing HEM's lush chamber folk stylings. After just two listens, Funnel Cloud may actually be as good as their last project, Eveningland, was. And that is very, very good indeed. At any rate, that's what I'm listening to on my iPod as I run this weekend in St. Louis.
I'm on my way to a solid 50 mile week again--if I can get up and out the hotel door early enough tomorrow morning. I'll try to run a good 15 miles before breakfast in and around Maryville University and St. Luke's Hospital.
