In Praise Of Shadows (B-Sides and Live Versions) (Coloured Viny LP)

This does not include the oiginal album but is a collection of b-sides, live takes and rarities. Puma Blue won widespread critical acclaim with the release of his debut LP In Praise of Shadows earlier this year. Described by NME as “a brief moment of relief for those lost in the darkness” the album found his storytelling at its most honest and vulnerable to date whilst his production reached new heights, retaining its characteristic bedroom intimacy. Yet for all the intimacy of his ‘voicemail-ballads’ on record, his songs carry a different resonance in a live setting; a mix of improvisation, in-the-moment escapism and the collective power of an audience taking his music to new heights. It’s something the producer and vocalist, real name Jacob Allen, has had a lot of time to reflect on in the last year, the absence of touring, combined with a move to Atlanta GA, giving him the time and distance to fully appreciate the importance of the record vs. live dichotomy to the way his work is perceived, experienced and felt.

This version includes eight live recordings, mostly taken from rehearsals in early 2021. With limited opportunities for people to hear the album in a live setting thus far, this represents an intimate first glimpse at the magic unique to the full band arrangements. This edition is completed by two new bedroom studio recordings with new single ‘All I Need’ (a Radiohead cover) perfectly extending the album’s small hours spirit, the raw emotion of Puma Blue’s voice growing in tandem with the scale of the initially skeletal production, and the previously unreleased ‘Postcard From Toyko’ exploring loneliness with brutal honesty and a sparse acoustic atmosphere.