Soap and Songs

My neighbor Sarah and I were sitting outside our local bar talking about what music we were currently listening to and both bonded over our love of Fleetwood Mac when she mentioned a band that she'd been putting on heavy rotation recently called Midlake. A few weeks later, I'm checking out their album The Trials of Van Occupanther (on Bella Union, the label that brings us such perennial favorites as Dirty Three, Lift to Experience and Devics) and they strongly recall Fleetwood Mac, as well as Christopher Cross. But don't get me wrong- these are comparisons of complete praise. The vocals somehow convey the soaring lilt of Rufus Wainwright and even Thom Yorke, but the unique instrumentations keep one foot firmly rooted in good old fashioned rock music, maybe of the 70's AM persuasion. Young Bride is an especially enchanting song. This album might be the perfect soundtrack of balmy summer sunsets.

Sarah also happens to run a family-owned soap shop that I worship for their amazing Castile Silk soap (100% olive oil with sage, spearmint and orange), which does wonders for my sensitive skin and is gentle enough to use on my face as well as the rest of me. They also have the most exquisite selection and arrangements of flowers I've ever seen. Saipua (derived from the Finnish word for soap) has a storefront on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, but if that's too far a distance to travel for the intoxicating experience of surveying all they have available in person (the store is especially charming), peruse their website at saipua.com.

Posted by Jane in Favorite Things
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