Paul Buchanan, Mid Air (2012)
I spoke about the title song when I was interviewed by Kim Hill recently for Playing Favourites. It feels like a song that’s always existed – one that Buchanan plucked down, hanging on to it for just long enough. A butterfly he cradled in his hands then released to the world suddenly more beautiful than it even was before. I’ve been lost inside this album for most of this year it seems – and that’ll continue on. And this year just happened to be this
Nile – then a suggestion came, with a burn of the CD, that I might like to chat with him; that interviews might be possible. That eventuated and I’m grateful I got to speak with Paul. He was, as you’d expect from the music, kind and soulful and wise and caring and engaged and interesting and deep and spiritual and lovely. Yep, lovely. That seems a fair summation. Just as it is with this album. He did seem in fact to very much be the music. He is, for now, this album. This album is him. He’s lived inside this album a lot longer than me or anyone else and he’ll live with it a long time too. And just as well. For this is something special. Something you can’t gush about enough (though I’ve given it a damn good go this year – I know). Of course I bought the vinyl. You want to support music like this. It’s not enough to just live on the cheap record-label burn or the download code. You make the purchase, support the music. Hang the sleeve on the wall. And hold the record close – so close – to your heart.

Sample Track: Two Children

The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown