Pygmy Lush releasing shelved album ‘Totem,’ share “February Song”

pg.99 offshoot Pygmy Lush have announced the release of Totem, a “lost” album recorded in 2016. “Frankly, we lost momentum shortly after recording the album,” says Mike Taylor. “It was a very transitional time for Pygmy Lush where we were trying hard to figure out what this group wanted to do.” Later, he adds, “I personally have wanted to release TOTEM as a document of this era of the band, in order to continue moving forward.”

“The album became a bridge between the two completely different sounds of the band, the quiet and the loud,” he continues. “It was very collaborative. We were all trying out as much stuff as we could. It’s a very eclectic album.” His brother and bandmate Chris Taylor adds, “Our records stand as little generational markers of our family’s collective output. This record is a totem reminding us of everything that came before it.”

The first single is “February Song,” an earthy, sludgy ballad that’s way too good to have been shelved for nearly a decade. Check it out below. The album drops July 11 via Persistent Vision (pre-order).

Pygmy Lush also have two upcoming shows, an appearance at Toronto’s stacked Prepare the Ground fest and the Richmond stop of Young Widows‘ tour. Meanwhile, pg.99 will open Kylesa‘s NYC reunion show at LPR on December 6.

Tracklist
1) House of Blood (Butch’s Monster)
2) It Wasn’t a Compliment (Martial Law Blues)
3) A Little Boy and His Bulldozer
4) Algorithmic Mercy (Prayers Printed Directly into a Shredder)
5) A Famous Jock (The Rest of Us)
6) February Song
7) Band-Aid on a Bullet Wound
8) The Puppeteer
9) Post-Punk in the Wrong Hands
10) Artistic Blood / Blanket Out the Sun (in a world of better things)
11) Nonsensical Whimper