HOW I LOVED YOU

The finest post SWANS work yet from founder Michael Gira. Voice, acoustic guitar, cinematic story-telling, lapses in over-orchestration. A labor of love with collaborative assistance from a formidable talent pool including Bliss Blood and Kid Congo Powers. Says Gira, "Here is the new Angels of Light album. I wrote the songs over the last couple of years. As it turns out, they're all love songs, in one form or another. The songs started out with just my voice and acoustic guitar, and then developed naturally over time by playing them with my friends (listed below) - whose collaboration and contributions are positively inspirational, to me anyway. Our combined sensibilities feel very natural at this point, which I guess comes from having played most of the songs live a lot. The songs were recorded live in the studio, then subjected to my usual lapses of over-orchestration. In this case though, I think I reigned myself in, and the final sound/picture seems to fit organically with the basic songs and lyrics. Anyway, I did my best. You decide. Making this album was a labor of love for all of us. I think this intention comes through, and I hope you find something of use to you personally in the music."

Michael Gira voice, acoustic and electric guitar, production
Christoph Hahn lap steel guitar, electric guitar
Dana Schechter bass guitar, piano, melodica, backing vocals
Lawrence Mullins drums, vibraphone, timpani, farfisa vip 600 organ, sleighbells, tambourine, castanets, glockenspiel
Birgit-Cassis Staudt accordion, melodica, cassio, piano, backing vocals;
Thor Harris hammer dulcimer, piano, backing vocals;
Bliss Blood backing vocals and double vocal on #2, ukelele
Siobhan Duffy backing vocals and double vocal on #5
Kid Congo Powers additional electric guitar on #3 and #8.