My Garden (Stones Throw)

John Carroll Kirby 

Released April 24, 2020

Jazziz Best Albums of 2020

YouTube:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mLjjhj7DSgo6iNCDHHy3vsDEEyq6Z0f1Y

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0LnkGWYfg54R7cTqg73Hgw?si=sJe9gb-qSs-nMc0i_X4UyQ

About:

My Garden, a collection of songs written, recorded and produced entirely by Kirby, is a pure distillation of his sound — soulful, spiritual, and evocative. Demonstrating perfectly why Kirby is the go-to collaborator for artists ranging from experimental auteurs Bat for Lashes and Connan Mockasin to pop megastars Harry Styles and Kali Uchis, and R&B innovators Solange and Frank Ocean, My Garden is also a testament to the clarity and singularity of Kirby’s vision.

Track Listing:

1. Blueberry Beads (John Carroll Kirby) 3:27

2. By the Sea (John Carroll Kirby) 5:00

3. Night Croc (John Carroll Kirby) 3:30

4. Arroyo Seco (John Carroll Kirby) 4:48

5. Son of Pucabufeo (John Carroll Kirby) 1:59

6. San Nicolas Island (John Carroll Kirby) 1:53

7. Humid Mood (John Carroll Kirby) 3:17

8. Lay You Down (John Carroll Kirby) 2:48

9. Wind (John Carroll Kirby) 5:27

Personnel:

John Carroll Kirby: keyboards

Neil Finn: percussion

J. P. Maramba: bass (1)

Recorded at Roundhead Studios, except track 2, recorded at Gaerloch and Gaerloch Studios, Sydney, and track 5 recorded at Roundhead Studios, Auckland.

Recorded and Mixed by John Carroll Kirby

Mastered and Additional Mixed by Jake Viator

Photography by Eddie Chacon

Review:

John Carroll Kirby puts an authorial spin on the lo-fi, ambient, new age and retro-futuristic music that many of us escaped into during pandemic-era madness. Aesthetically delightful, My Garden marks the multi-instrumentalist/producer’s solo debut on Stones Throw and has been aptly defined as third-generation exotica, evoking other-worldly pictorial scenes via an explorative application of electronic sophistication.

Matt Micucci (Jazziz)