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Only those who were quickest off the mark were able to grab a physical copy of Liz Harris’ first new music in over two years.  Paradise Valley was self-released through her Bandcamp page on 21 December, and the 1000 printed 7” singles (plus a few t-shirts) were snapped up almost immediately – with good reason. Paradise Valley marks a return to the “classic” Grouper sound after the relative clarity of 2014’s piano-driven Ruins.

These two tracks feature Harris at both her most vulnerable and most comfortable, weaving a blanket with her voice and guitar under a familiar veil of reverb in a way that only she can. “Why does love keep letting me down?” she asks over Headache’s mournful melody, while gently strumming a guitar so low and deep it may well be fitted with bass strings. “I’m Clean Now” relies less on melody, instead conjuring a dark atmosphere appropriate for its release date on the Winter Solstice.

Harris hinted in her mailing list that this was the first of several smaller-scale releases to come in the near-future. After what has been a challenging year for many, it is some consolation to know that there is still some beauty to be found in the quiet places of the world, shimmering gently over the horizon.