In October of 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted a “tough winter,” and he wasn’t wrong. As the days got shorter, the skies got greyer, and the weather got colder, toughing it out through the (hopefully) final stretch of lockdown seemed at times like an insurmountable task. As always, great music was there to lift our spirits when they needed lifting, and to help us feel less alone. These are the albums we turned to over the last three months to give us the boost we needed when we felt our resilience beginning to erode.
Pit of My Dreams is the DC-based experimental duo April + VISTA’s second full-length album following the success of their debut, You Are Here. With April on vocals and violin and VISTA’s keys and sharp production, the duo excels at creating all-encompassing listening experiences, and Pit of My Dreams is no different. Taking a darker tone than You Are Here, the mood of the album was inspired in part by April’s experiences with sleep paralysis, and begins with the luxuriant “Cooperators” which is anchored by April’s boundless violin strings and melancholy tones by VISTA. The first single, “Every Void,” incorporates April’s signature strings with an underlying sense of despair that crescendos into the refrain. The album closes with the airy “22degreehalo” which breaks away from the melancholy tone of the preceding tracks.
