Flare Acoustic Hearts League - Big Top / Encore

LD Beghtol, who sang some of the most beautiful songs on MAGNETIC FIELDS’ 69 Love Songs and with his band LD & THE NEW CRITICISM recorded the most remarkable Lisa Germano cover under the sun—to say nothing of his own wonderful original songs—has completed a new record, his fourth under the moniker of FLARE ACOUSTIC ARTS LEAGUE. Two EPs: Big Top and Encore… Appearing together for the first time under one roof! In addition to this regular CD release, Big Top/Encore also comes in two beautiful special editions: 1)“Kidz Box” CD 2) heavyweight vinyl LP, plus loads of little goodies inside—stickers, postcards and temporary tattoos, etc. The extra-special golden ticket superdeluxe edition (good luck finding one!) also includes a mysterious envelope of forensic evidence, perfect for CSI aficionados and FLARE completists.
And if the packaging has caught your eye, just wait until you hear the music. Among the record’s two-dozen-plus other contributors are Jon de Rosa (from the AARKTICA collective), cellist Julia Kent (of Anthony & the Johnsons/Devendra Banhart fame), rowdy Spanish troubadour Remate, and the exquisite Kendall Jane Meade (MASCOTT/SPARKLEHORSE). With each song and every sound, the playfulness and complexity framing FLARE are further revealed. In addition to the eight originals, two cover versions are found on the EPs: “Yes I Do (Merry-Go-Round)” is a string-drenched cover of the
PSYCHEDELIC FURS’ classic, and a loving homage to Furs’ timelessness; on this track, Jon and LD do their best helium-besotted Flo & Eddie vocal impersonations. The miniature “Bruises”—an a-cappella version of a deeply moving song by THE REAL  TUESDAY WELD (aka Stephen Coates, the Clerkenwell kid himself)—blends seamlessly into LD’s scruffy bubblegum anthem, “Candyman Pariah.” In this new context “Bruises” loses some of its heaviness, and even gains an almost positive undertone. Almost.

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