The last we saw Benoît Pioulard (a.k.a. Thomas Meluch) he was recovering from a broken wrist—specifically a broken radial, which is what he named the EP that he released to help pay his medical fees. Meluch broke that wrist hiking near North Bend, Washington, where it’s easy to imagine his atmospheric and thoughtful music taking root (albeit usually in less treacherous circumstances).
With his wrist hopefully well on its way to recovery, Meluch is releasing his latest LP, The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter, in October via Kranky. This is his sixth album released with the label, and the full-length follow-up to last year’s Sonnet. Along with the announcement of the record, we have a single to premiere—and it’s a stunner. Driven by light acoustic guitar and a tribal bass drum, “Layette” is an attention-grabbing fluff of cotton-candy melodies delivered through a somber bedroom setting. It’s real purty.
Check out that track, as well as the album cover and tracklisting, below.
The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter tracklisting
1. Initials B.P.
2. Narcologue
3. Anchor as the Muse
4. A World of What-There-Is
5. Layette
6. I Walked into the Blackness and Built a Fire
7. Like There’s Nothing Under You
8. Perennial Comforts
9. Defect
10. A Mantle for Charon
11. In-The-Vapor
12. The Sun is Going to Explode but Whatever it’s OK
13. Ruth
The Benoît Pioulard Listening Matter is out October 14 via Kranky.
