The Angels of Light - How I Loved You (2001)

The Angels of Light - How I Loved You
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After dissolving Swans, Michael Gira poured what leftover songs and energy he had into The Angels of Light debut New Mother, a steady album that certainly was his most accessible release up until that point. For How I Loved You, Michael plasters his old mother on the front cover and pushes the band into developing a truly independent style. This gothic folk rock album starts out strong, with a sweet pleading track; "Evangeline" is a pretty love song, one that might have you double check to ensure you’re not listening to Calvin Johnson, but characteristically this song inevitable ends with a declaration: “Then it’s gone.” Slowly the album recoils back into the darkness, with only Bee and Flower vocalist Dana Schechter providing the light to Gira’s decidedly put-on middle America growl. How I Loved You is a dark, personal record that is as depressing as it is beautiful.

~9.0

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