Alexandria

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 37 - Chris Mills and the Distant Stars - Alexandria

In the late 90's/early 00's when I was pretty much totally immersed in Americana I saw Chris Mills play on two or three occasions and I have three of his early albums ranging from 1998 to 2003. The only time he has appeared here before  was over 10 years ago with a cover of The Flaming Lips song Waitin' For a Superman from his 2003 Covers EP Tell It Like It Isn't.

After that he fairly quickly disappeared of my radar until unexpectantly I stumbled across Alexandria in the "Dead Dog" shop in Newton Stewart. From 2014 and on Loud Romantic Records it is billed as Chris Mills and the Distant Stars and appears to be his 11th and final studio album.

Bandcamp tells us that it was born out of a chance encounter in the Scandinavian wilderness and that it  raves distance and dark seas and a haunted tape machine to deliver nine emotionally stark and romantic tales, where echoes of the past become a map to the wild, unknown future.

I'm not sure whether Alexandria refers to the city in Egypt or the city in Virginia, USA or even the town in Scotland near Dumbarton .It may even refer to a woman or the Royal Alexandria Hospital Hospital in Paisley where Mrs CC and I both worked before we met.

Whatever, it is one that I enjoyed and it is most definitely a keeper. It has also put me in mind to dig out some of his earlier stuff for the first time in forever.

It also has a rather splendid cover.

Chris Mills and the Distant Stars - Wild Places

Chris Mills and the Distant Stars -Rubicorn