Warp Records
2008
Blood, Looms, And Blooms
About This Album
Her first album in eight years and her Warp debut, Leila's Blood, Looms and Blooms almost didn't happen: after the release of 2000's moody, murky The Courtesy of Choice, she lost both of her parents and, for a long time, her interest in making music. With the encouragement of her friends and family, Leila returned to the studio and recorded these songs, often with her family and friends -- who include Terry Hall and Martina Topley-Bird -- in there with her. While Blood, Looms and Blooms' very existence is somewhat surprising, it's even more remarkable that this is Leila's most uplifting work, given the loss that preceded it. Far from wallowing in grief (though that would certainly be understandable), Leila crafts vivid tracks that cast as much light as they do shadow. "Little Acorns" is downright mischievous, bouncing along on a good-natured beat as Khemahl and Thaon Richardson hum and babble with childlike glee. Terry Hall's tracks borrow some of the Specials' forays into woozy, carnivalesque atmospheres: "Time to Blow"'s winding melody and tumbling keyboards update his unique brand of whimsy, while album closer "Why Should I Worry," a duet between Hall and Topley-Bird, plays like a show tune that's somehow nostalgic and futuristic at the same time.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,4,5,8 and 11)

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