Playlist for the Freeze and the Thaw : by Minor Moon

Minor Moon’s album Tethers was released on 3/26, a cinematic, visionary record blending midwest Americana, smart lyricism, and iridescent harmonies. From beginning to end, each track contains lush, full orchestration, with Wurlitzer and lap steel adding sparkling, sweeping elements, and songwriter and band leader Sam Cantor’s sometimes winking, sometimes somber, always solid vocal delivery rounding out the sound. Selecting singles must have been a difficult feat because there are no weak moments on this album. The only frustration that comes from listening to Tethers is the bewilderment as to why they’re not more gigantic.

Sam was kind enough to make us a playlist. Not surprising that he has excellent taste. He says,

These are songs that helped me get through the longest deepest coldest darkest winter I can recall. Several of the tracks were written by dear friends; there was no better balm for my ’20-’21 winter blues than being genuinely moved by music made by people that I love and care about. Some of these are songs I learned about this past year while others are tunes I keep coming back to. The two tracks from Tethers, ‘Hey, Dark Ones’ and ‘In the Long Year,’ are both about encountering that broken cold winter feeling and finding some line of escape, though that process looks very different in each song. Some of the songs on this playlist were for midnight: drunk and dancing in the dimly lit vibed out kitchen, our makeshift music bar. Others were for morning: staring out the window to watch icicles stretch down 12, 15, 20 feet and melt back up to nothing in the span of a few weeks. And now it’s early spring in Chicago, where every day is like a battle between the freeze and thaw.

Anyway, I hope these songs bring you some joy no matter what weather you’re having.

-Sam

Tethers came out of a period of upheaval for Cantor. Following the disorienting dissolution of a long-term relationship, he sought help from regular therapy sessions and the wisdom of close friends and family, and slowly gained some clarity and steady footing. This process led to Cantor constructing a psychedelic and knotty sci-fi world in his lyrics in order to write about what he was going through with more freedom and imagination.

Buy Tethers on Bandcamp via Ruination Record Co. and Whatever’s Clever.

Photo by V.V. Lightbody!