Aldous Harding - Train on the Island
It pains me to admit it but Aldous Harding is another one of those artists that I found out about through the algorithmic feed tube of Spotify. Ugh I’m just the worst. I can’t recall what I was listening to that led the machine to her but I still remember when I first heard “Passion Babe”. I was driving and had a “wait, who’s this?” moment. I made sure to peek at the phone screen before the song ended to find out. I wanted to hear more. As snappy as it is to disparage the streaming services, one can’t deny that this particular instance translated into some real moola going directly to the artist. It just goes to show that, as with most bad things, it’s not all bad. What is all good is Aldous Harding. Love her. Her voice contains a cool nonchalance and natural effortlessness that brings to mind a river winding through a beautiful countryside - always right. Can you see it? We accidentally listened to it three times in a row at work today and it wow this record so great. Just got better and better. Can’t wait to listen to it again tomorrow.
Banko Gotiti Gedeb, Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia
Our first Ethiopian offering of the season comes to us via the Gotiti washing station in Gedeb, and it’s a classic from south: bright, floral, crisp, and citrusy. The 868 smallholder farmers contributing to Gotiti grow coffee in their gardens or on very small farms (.1-2 hectares) and deliver cherry to the washing station on foot or by mule. They rely on coffee production for the majority of their income. The coffees from this station are clean, elegant, and focused, with layers of citrus, stone fruit, and complex florals. We taste limeade, tangerine, and lemongrass.
