Name: Last Of The Better Days Ahead
Brand: Charlie Parr

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

SFW40244LP

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "SFW40244LP"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2021-11-19

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Proper

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

093074024416

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "093074024416"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

Total Cap

2 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

SFW40244

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "SFW40244"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

093074024423

{"blocks": [{"data": {"text": "093074024423"}, "type": "paragraph"}]}

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Charlie Parr

Genre GB

Country / Americana

Label GB

Smithsonian Folkways

Charlie Parr is an American country blues musician hailing from Minnesota. Born in Austin and raised in Hollandale, he began his music career in Duluth, where he still resides today. With a soulful sound that resonates with audiences, Parr has established himself as a prominent figure in the music industry.

Parr's unique style draws inspiration from various genres including folk, blues, and country. His heartfelt lyrics and raw vocals captivate listeners, creating an intimate connection between artist and audience. Influenced by *Possessed by Paul James*, *William Elliott Whitmore*, and other talented performers, Parr's music showcases his passion for storytelling.

Throughout his career, Parr has released numerous albums that have garnered critical acclaim. His discography includes notable works such as "Stumpjumper" and "Dog." With each release, he continues to push boundaries and explore new musical territories.

In 1987, following the death of Moses Asch, the Smithsonian Institution acquired from his estate the rights, papers, and masters for Folkways Records. This was done with the Smithsonian's promise to keep all of the 2168 Folkways titles in print, which they continue to do to this day under the *Smithsonian Folkways* banner.

Under their ownership, *Smithsonian Folkways* has become a renowned label in the music industry. With a commitment to preserving and promoting traditional folk music from around the world, they have curated an extensive collection of albums that showcase diverse cultural expressions.

As one of the leading authorities on folk music, *Smithsonian Folkways* offers a wide range of genres including blues, country, gospel, jazz, and world music. Their catalog features legendary artists such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie as well as lesser-known but equally talented performers who have made significant contributions to their respective musical traditions.

Charlie Parr's newest album, Last of the Better Days Ahead, is a collection of powerful new songs about how one looks back on a life lived, as well as forward on what's still to come. Its spare production foregrounds Parr's poetic lyricism, his expressive, gritty voice ringing clear over deft acoustic guitar playing that references folk and blues motifs in Parr's own exploratory, idiosyncratic style. When it comes to what it all means, Parr says it best:

"Last of the Better Days Ahead is a way for me to refer to the times I'm living in. I'm getting on in years, experiencing a shift in perspective that was once described by my mom as 'a time when we turn from gazing into the future to gazing back at the past, as if we're adrift in the current, slowly turning around.' Some songs came from meditations on the fact that the portion of our brain devoted to memory is also the portion responsible for imagination, and what that entails for the collected experiences that we refer to as our lives. Other songs are cultivated primarily from the imagination, but also contain memories of what may be a real landscape, or at least one inspired by vivid dreaming. The album represents one full rotation of the boat in which we are adriftlooking ahead for a last look at the better days to come, then being turned around to see the leading edge of the past as it fades into the foggy dreamscape of our real and imagined histories."

Last Of The Better Days Ahead

Music GB

Buy Charlie Parr - Last Of The Better Days Ahead (Vinyl, CD) now from Rough Trade - independent purveyors of great music, since 1976.