Poor Moon by Hiss Golden Messenger

I'm not sure where I first heard about Hiss Golden Messenger's Bad Debt, an EP of acoustic songs recorded at M C Taylor's kitchen table. For me, a captivating cross between Robert Johnson and Neil Young. It was either through The Guardian's New Band of the Day or perhaps via Uncut, who have been constant champions of their output.

That EP led me to their full-length, Poor Moon, on which a number of the tracks from Bad Debt were re-recorded with a full band. As well as the fantastic music, which lost none of its magic in a different setting, the grassroots ethos behind the production of the music itself is inspiring. To begin with Poor Moon was not released on CD and only via limited hand-numbered run of 500 lovingly-produced LPs (I got 165). Put out by Paradise of Bachelors with photography by Abigail Martin and drawings by Alex Jako, front and back covers are real works of devotion to the art of the record.

"The imagery was drawn by my friend Alex Jako, who lives in Todmorden, England. She did an incredible job, I think. It was all laid out by our friend Brendan Greaves. I wanted to evoke a feel similar to some of the Nonesuch Explorer LP covers." (M C Taylor, interview with Uprooted Music Review)

Apparently a new album is also in the works.