A Fresh Look at Album Art

Welcome to Vinyl Mango! A fresh look at album art. Like our new tagline?

It’s a work-in-progress but I like it. That’s how I feel about dipping my toes in the vid world. I still feel very rough around the edges when it comes to video, but I’ve been hearing it gets better with practice.

Being on-camera feels very unnatural. It’s good to be self-conscious but not overly self-conscious. Something I will work on as I get more relaxed through the process.

For video numero dos, aka number #2:I am reviewing Chad Vangaalen’s The World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener

I was drawn to this record. I wasn’t planning on reviewing anything that came out this year, that’s not really the point of the series but Vangaalen’s eye for design is great. He’s apparently an illustrator himself.

I’m starting to see a pattern emerging. Last episode, our hauntology record, Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witchcults of The Radio Age had a cover designed by Julian House, the CEO of ghost box records and a professional graphic designer.

And now, we see Vangaalen also a visual artist who designed his own cover demonstrate the importance of striking imagery. I picked his record at complete random upon seeing it on an online display of a local record store.

Record 2

Then there’s the record I decided to pair it with – Neon Skyline by Andy Shauf. If I’m being honest, its artistic style drew me in because it reminded me of stylistically of the videogame Disco Elysium.

If you’ve never played Disco Elysium, it’s a mystery role playing game or RPG that follows two detectives trying to solve a murder. It has an unique oil painting aesthetic.

Neon Skyline has a similar aesthetic, so right away I wondered about that choice. It did not disappoint. Neon Skyline is an album that is also a short fiction story. The different verses ping from character to character and we are told what the nail in the coffin was for a previous failed relationship. It’s all one interconnected story being told through-out the album.

Not bad for picking up two records on a whim.