Here’s another Australian treasure, from a glorious album of guitar instrumentals called “For the Morning” (because that’s the time of day the record is for) by LOU. Hard to pick a favourite tunes to share but “Birds in the Morning” is a good starting point:

LOU is Melbourne-based guitarist/singer Sarah Hardiman (Deaf Wish, Brick Head and Nightclub; as well as, Moon Rituals, a collaboration with Mikey Young, who mixed and mastered the album).

Even though “For the Morning” is music for the morning, it works at all other times of the day as well. The whole album – written and recorded alone over two days in Beechworth, inland northern Victoria – works as a woozy DIY instrumental meditation, in a similar way to the music of Durutti Column, particularly the 1980 classic “The Return of The Durutti Column” which this echoes with its use of drum machine, clean minimal guitar melodies, washed in reverb and delay.

The album has an Australian sense of atmosphere in the same way William Tyler’s instrumentals seem to fit the vastness of the North American landscape. In LOU’s case it’s open space, clean air, sun dappling under trees. Although the album’s recording setting may have been far inland, it also has a coastal feel, thanks to some understated ‘surf’ styling in the lush guitar. There’s something quietly uplifting about this album, and we all need a bit of dappled sunshine relaxation right now.

“For the Morning” had a digital self-release last year in September 2021, but soon came to the attention of Sorcerer Records who reckoned it deserved physical form to ensure its permanence. There’s a pressing of 300 copies on vinyl which you can order from Sorcerer Records Bandcamp.