In 2020, Sally Anne Morgan (Black Twig Pickers, House and Land) released her first solo album, titled “Thread”. As described by Glenn Kimpton in his album review, Thread was a “very tactile album, an autumnal set of songs full of warmth and the fragility and beauty of nature.” Her new album, Cups, is described as being in stark contrast to the traditional and pop-informed structures of Thread. Instead, she adopts a free-flowing approach, intuitive and receptive, brimming and shifting and changing across a fragile equilibrium of improvised and composed pieces.
Released on Thrill Jockey records again, the accompanying press describes Morgan’s composing and recording process as less centred on capturing the perfect take and more focused on finding unique moments and combinations of sounds that reflect distinct parts of herself.
The album is released on 12 November and is available digitally and on cassette via Thrill Jockey (who also ship from the UK) and Bandcamp. Below you can hear the first single ‘Prune’. The steady strums of banjo and flutters of fiddle on “Prune” were initially laid atop tambura, which was subsequently removed from the piece to give a stronger sense of space and slower pace.
We will hopefully be bringing you more on the album soon. In the meantime, Sally has also shared an unboxing video for the cassette release:
Morgan’s process of crafting the pieces of Cups imprinted a sense of marvel as they tumble freely from one passage to another in a constant state of curiosity and realization. Each motion reveals more of Morgan to herself. Sally Anne Morgan’s Cups is the deep reflection of an artist forging bonds with the universal unconscious that guides all living things and finding the latent power within her own instincts.
Order Cups via Thrill Jockey | Bandcamp
Photo Credit: Katrina Ohstrom