Fata Morgana, DM Stith’s new LP produced by Thomas Bartlett (Yoko Ono, Florence + the Machine, St. Vincent), out April 14th from Historical Fiction Records, presents a transformed Stith. After a decade in Brooklyn that saw releases on Asthmatic Kitty and Octave Recordings, Stith moved to Rochester, New York in the summer of 2021 trading the familiar density of New York City for fresh perspective on the shores of Lake Ontario.
The experience and resulting artistic clarity is woven through the album that feels as much like a mirror as it does a memoir. The album takes its name from the rare phenomena, a mirage that bends the horizon and allows the viewer to see farther than they could on their own. This is the Fata Morgana – the trick of light transforming, reflecting, a physical representation of grace.
On Doomed!, the album’s first single, Stith declares, “I shed my skin/all over again / All my memories and All they represent” with a playful, reassured tone. From track to track Stith mines his anxieties (I can’t seem to get/ lost in this city / its numbing infinity) and natural surroundings (I’ll take it as proof / the intent of the universe / to show me itself / Ontario blue) for tight pop tunes he refracts through adventurous arrangements and Bartlett’s impressionistic production.
Reflecting on the new release, Stith shares, “I realized I’d have to address the ways my fear of death has manifested as perfectionism; that, in order to understand the function of that death-clutch, I’d have to allow myself to be seen as I am. To speak with my own voice.”
On the album closer, the title track Fata Morgana, Stith pulls back the curtain on the self-exploration that has always been at the center of his creative process, singing, “I’m turning off ambition like a stove / it’s useful but a hazard when left alone.” Stith showcases a new ease with words throughout the record, but here, in the final minute of the album, he makes room for the ineffable; a pair of ascending pianos unlocking, drifting, and realigning in a sort of musical moiré.
Featuring guest appearances by Shara Nova (My Brightest Diamond), Thomas Bartlett, Thor Harris, and Dustin Ragland, Fata Morgana is available on streaming and Bandcamp April 14th.
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lyrics
I’m knocked out
Frozen for winter
I’ve been somewhere but so far I’m
Unable to remember…
Ah
I, I wouldn’t know, I wouldn’t know
My good man
My shadow in his hand
He’s tracing me all around around around
And drawin’ me back to life
Plan for the weather and
Grab some things for dinner
And sprinkle some seeds
around the back yard
A favor to some critter
I wouldn’t know I wouldn’t know I wouldn’t know I wouldn’t know
My good man
Easy and content
He smiles his surrender
All akimbo on the floor
And distracted by my laughter
I Can’t pull on my sneakers
The failure of my hands to complete a simple task
The wholeness of this power
I wouldn’t know I wouldn’t know I wouldn’t know I wouldn’t know
supported by 17 fans who also own “Uranian Love Song”
So glad to found the complete bundle was still available to buy. I couldn't just buy the standalone LP, had to get all the items together to increase my own delight! ♡ One of my favourite records of Sufjan along with Carrie & Lowell and The Greatest Gift. Vinilocioso