Grouper Gets Spacey on New Double Album

By MICHAEL MANNHEIMER

When Liz Harris gets going, she just can't stop. Recording under the moniker Grouper, Harris has crafted some of the most beautiful late-night music to come out of the Pacific Northwest in a long time, with treated guitar, swirling feedback, and her ghostly voice dominating my post-midnight soundtrack for most of 2008 with the elemental Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill. Now Grouper is back with a new double album, A / A, that includes two new original pieces of work: Dream Loss and Alien Observer. Pitchfork has the stream of "Alien Observer," the gorgeous title-track from one side of the double album, and it sure sounds good on another cold and wet March morning. Indie blog Gorilla vs. Bear also points out that Amazon UK is streaming 30-second clips of the whole record, so head over there now to get the rest of your Grouper fix before April 11, when A / A drops on vinyl and digital download.

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.