Feb 1 2020
Best of 2019 #13: Minua – “Still Light”
Back in February when I originally recommended Still Light, I said it was waaaaaaay too soon to be making proclamations like This is the most beautiful thing I’ve heard all year. Except, I was right. It was and it is. And now that a year has passed since I first opened my ears to this lovely recording, a year spent listening to this album over and over and over again, I’m now even more assured in my assessment that the Minua trio’s Still Light is one of the most gorgeous things I’ve heard this year, maybe the most gorgeous, and I expect my opinion will be shared by many others. The trio of bass clarinetist Fabian Willmann and guitarists Luca Aaron and Kristinn Kristinsson treat the influences of Scandinavian folk, ambient minimalism, Nordic jazz, and a dash of post-rock melodicism as if merely fluctuations of shadows dancing between the rays of sunrise. And this is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard all year.
Your album personnel: Fabian Willmann (bass clarinet), Kristinn Kristinsson (guitar) and Luca Aaron (guitar).
Released on Traumton Records.
Music from Nantes, France.
I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.
Michael
February 3, 2020 @ 11:20 pm
Loving the list so far, as always. Despite reading your various posts and reviews, I always find gems in your list!
Robert
February 7, 2020 @ 2:22 am
Hey, Dave, are you OK? The series abruptly stopped!
davesumner
February 7, 2020 @ 7:14 pm
Yeah, sorry about that. Had a few things happen all at once, none of them bad, some of them good, but all of them challenging, and I decided to pause a few things in my life. Unfortunately, Best Of list was one. Should be back on track either Sunday or definitely Monday.
Cheers,
Dave
Robert Middleton
February 8, 2020 @ 4:40 pm
OK, glad you’re OK. Yeah, life throws shit at us sometimes when least expected. Really looking forward to your top 12. I’ve made a few purchases based on your top recommendations for the year! Cheers, Robert