Pastoral (MINT VINYL) [Vinyl]

"Modern media, the internet, and technology have become a part of rural life, leading to this weirdness, claustrophobia, and overstimulation," Laningham explains. "While the pastoral can be beautiful, it also represents an empty happiness that relies on empty symbols taken out of context - even while they retain a part of their original beauty."

Like fellow Southerner Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, Laningham's skill comes both in writing heady and hooky songs as well as then stretching and dizzying them into delightful new shapes. While the touchstones of the South linger in the familiar accent of the samples, the record treats the "pastoral" as a wider-reaching idea of comfort and ease