Have listened to it twice now; super-quick thoughts, and yeah, I might be biased, but it's immediately obvious that this is an instant classic. Richard, you just elevated the entire game. I don't think there's any other album you could make right now, and I don't think anybody could have made it but you. It's exactly what I was hoping for, and then some.
We knew it was going to be beautiful, but it's more than just a pretty face. One thing we love is that he makes albums that are true albums; entire cohesive journeys. But this one...you can recognize and comprehend each of his albums in Hollow Meadows. As an artistic evolution, it makes perfect sense. Where this album came from, and where it goes, is equally intuitive and logical. Though it's decidedly not a culmination, it's definitely a coalescence--embodying that slow realization that the only thing we know for sure is that we know nothing at all. And that in fact, that's a good thing: because the more we know, or think we know, the less we truly understand.
This is precisely where I'm at in my life, and this is just the kind of music I need to hear right now. Thanks, Richard. You fucking killed it.
We'll have the sofa all made up for you when you guys come to Chicago. Ahem. Oh don't worry, it's a really big sofa!