Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Heavenly - Le Jardin de Heavenly (reissue)

 


Heavenly is deservedly one of the most beloved indie pop bands from the days of twee pop/Sarah Records. Accordingly, a reissue of their catalog is an event that both the band and their fans deserve. Fortunately for all parties, Skep Wax (the label run by Heavenly members Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey) are reissuing all four albums. The first, Heavenly vs Satan, dropped in the Autumn of 2022 (WYMA feature). Le Jardin de Heavenly became available last month. The third will be released in Autumn of 2023, with the fourth available the following Spring.

Le Jardin de Heavenly is a terrific follow-up to the band's debut album, maintaining the DIY spirit but displaying increased confidence. Their palette also broadened to embrace some shoegazey elements and additional sonic layers to complement the wonderful pop melodies. It is a seminal album by a seminal indie pop band.The original album's eight tracks are augmented for this reissue with four bonus tracks selected from singles which did no appear on an album.

On Le Jardin de Heavenly the four original members of Heavenly -- Amelia Fletcher, Peter Momtchiloff, Rob Pursey, and Mathew Fletcher -- were joined by new member Cathy Rogers. On album track "C Is The Heavenly Option" one half of the duet is sung by Calvin Johnson (Beat Happening), head of K Records which released the album in the United States.


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