Subminiature, the new live album by Philadelphia instrumental chamber folk ensemble Hour, comes fresh off the heels of 2024’s ‘Ease the Work’ and provides a capstone for the band’s oeuvre to date, brandishing new material alongside longstanding arrangements of pieces from 2018’s ‘Anemone Red’ and ‘Tiny Houses’, the inaugural releases of Dear Life Records.
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Across this collection of recordings harvested over two years of extensive DIY touring, bandleader/composer Michael Cormier-O’Leary demonstrates a deep understanding of the character of his shifting ensemble and its players. Subminiature also serves as a hard worn tour diary, cataloguing concerts that were affectionally curated to highlight the strength of the music; at once adventurous and melodic and insistent upon spaces that encourage deeper connection. These tours saw the group performing in movie theaters, on islands, in machine shops and parking garages, crowded bars and living rooms, churches and theaters. Invariably, the music expands and contracts to match the space the ensemble is performing in. Recorded on a range of recording devices, this impressive live album highlights the focus and dynamism of a hardworking, fluid ensemble.
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releases on DLR:
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DLRDG 008: Saturday After Payday/Absence is a Heady Spice
DLR047: Tiny Houses / Anemone Red 5th Anniversary Reissue
DLR BTL 001: Hour @ Boot and Saddle 12/7/2019
photo by Michael Cormier-O'Leary
