KAIT ELDRIDGE - The Dark Tower (LP)

In the midst of the 2020 lockdown, Kait Eldridge, the songwriter behind the hard-rocking power-pop project Big Eyes, found herself with an overabundance of free time and solitude. Neglected half-read books were finished, closets were cleaned, and puzzles were pieced together, but eventually the sedentary life wore out it’s welcome. Craving a new focus, Eldridge relocated her gear from the band’s practice space into her small Brooklyn apartment, and got to work on a peculiar musical endeavor: a concept album based on Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower’’ series. Supplemental equipment was ordered; countless hours were spent tinkering with new instruments and learning the rudiments of home recording, and songs were written, recorded and mixed all in her bedroom. The resulting project not only condensed the storyline of 7+ books into an LP’s worth of tunes, but also musically incorporated the series’ motley grouped literary genres: western, fantasy, horror, and science fiction. A direct homage to the series in name, Kait Eldridge’s “The Dark Tower,” is chock-full of lyrical references to the books’ unforgettable characters, evocative locales, and heart-wrenching plot points. King’s mystical number, 19, crowns the album as the total track listing. Sonically, it’s a charmingly rough around the edges home-recorded project, consisting of alternating tracks of synth-heavy brooding tunes, 70’s country influenced ballads, and atmospheric interludes. Eldridge has woven an enchanting, artful album with resonations of Glen Campbell’s sorrowfully gliding pop songs, ethereal guitar and synth textures à la Michael Rother, and the ambience of a tenebrous science fiction movie scored by Tangerine Dream or John Carpenter. Underneath it all, her power pop songwriting background, attention to detail, and dedication to the art of timeless songwriting continues to shine through the refreshingly new multitude of layers of her debut solo record.

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Tracklist

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Product Highlights

• 200 Pressed on Black Vinyl
• Black Dust Sleeves
• Full Color Inserts
• Includes Download