We’ve been fans of Eric Gaffney‘s for years now, since the days of Sebadoh and beyond. We were pretty excited to see 2016 herald his return to 12″ vinyl with a release that is sure to impress both die-hard fans and newbs alike!
For those unfamiliar with Eric, he was one half of the ’90s indie-sludge duo Sebadoh and also founded the short-lived but exciting East Coast hardcore band Grey Matter. Although some time has passed and he has parted ways with those bands that hasn’t stopped him from writing and recording a staggering amount of albums, singles, and demos… primarily on 4-track tape recorders.
His latest release may have been recorded digitally (enlisting the help of engineer Andrew Hunt and Garageband) but it still retains the feel and looseness of his earlier work. Tracks like “America’s Drug” have the familiar feel of a Sebadoh tune but with even more of an unadulterated, loose, lo-fi feel.
Land of Make Believe is a wonderful collection of new and recently unearthed songs that is a nice sampling of what Eric’s music is all about. Sebadoh fans will be pleased to hear a more stripped down version of the Bubble and Scrape classic “Elixir Is Zog” & III’s “Limb by Limb”.
The album spans various eras, moods, themes, and styles but it all fits under the expansive umbrella that is Eric Gaffney. Short bursts of rock and roll like “No Telling Why” are interspersed with unearthed Grey Matter tracks from the ’80s and even an acoustic ballad about Phil Spectre.
The album is available for purchase via bandcamp on Cassette and a variety of Vinyl editions featuring homemade artwork by Eric himself. Mine arrived once the glue had dried and included a coupon for laundry detergent and some nice notes on the recording process. Certainly a must-have for any Sebadoh fans that crave more lo-fi DIY stylings from the one and only Eric Gaffney.
For more of Eric’s solo recordings follow his various bandcamp links below, and check out our interview from April 2014.
Jesus Christ Bandcamp | Official
Fields of Gaffney Bandcamp
Gracefully Aging Hippy Soloists Bandcamp