Marika Hackman built a following with consistently strong EPs of original music. When it came time for her debut album, however, she chose to leave all those songs behind and create a whole new record.
We’ve heard two tracks from the forthcoming We Slept At Last thus far—before today’s “Animal Fear” there was the artfully crafted “Drown.” Hackman’s new direction recalls alt-J and Arcade Fire, songs that are solid, thoughtful constructions with moving parts. For “Animal Fear,” Hackman adds a banjo and some wistful gunshot ricochets to her supply store.
We Slept At Last will be released on February 16. The English songwriter shared images from an art booklet to be released with the CD and vinyl editions; check those out in the gallery above. The images, created with photographer Glen Erler, “are inspired by and resonate with the same dark narrative” as Hackman’s album. Stream “Animal Fear” below.
