In November of 1938, Samuel Barber’s ‘Adagio for Strings’ was broadcast on radio for the first time. It was regarded as “full of pathos and cathartic passion”, and “perfect in mass and detail”. While it was generally well-received, it was also criticized as “suffering from repetitiousness”, and being “dull and utterly anachronistic.” It is often labeled as ‘the saddest music in the world’, and is one of the most recognizable pieces of popular classical music. In an interview with the New York Times before his death in 1981, Barber said “I wish people would listen to my other compositions.”
‘I love you so much I can’t even title this’ was recorded in 2008. Inspired by Samuel Barber’s ‘Adagio for Strings’, some of the notes were replayed incorrectly, and processed on tape and a laptop. The title came alluded to a Morrissey song, and she once summed it up by calling it ‘the laziest title I’ve never written’. I remember painting the handmade die-cut sleeves in the garage, having to hold a rag over my nose and mouth to keep out the fumes. At the time, it seemed like an exercise. Studying poetry had distanced us from the world – and did we think anyone was even paying attention, anyway? The theme was overwhelmingly obvious, and the title was direct. A few years later I chose a photo for the cover of a cemetery in New Orleans – another direct message, yet like everything else, entirely unintentional. You’d be surprised how beautiful the cemetery was that day in the sun, and how you’d probably be wrong about every other assumption, as well. But then, what does that matter, either? Music only has to be.
‘I love you so much I can’t even title this’ is available on 2xLP on sky blue, white, and black vinyl from Infraction.
Release date: May 26, 2016