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"Renowned for his compelling fusion of indie rock, emo folk, and evocative lyricism, this release is an affirmation of the artist’s commitment to using music as an awakening tool, echoing deep emotional resonances and ethereal might.”
by We Plug Good Music
"Piercing lyrical themes, bold musical statements, and haunting performances live and breathe on The Last Optimist's brand new release, the sublime ‘seed – water – sun’."
https://www.rockeramagazine.com/seed-water-sun-the-last-optimist/
"The Last Optimist returns with a gorgeous full-length in seed water sun — further showcasing the artist’s riveting songwriting, ranging from the budding dark folk-rock of “shame you left me” to the caressing duet balladry of “not a sound” and the twangy rocker “one night in Belfast.” https://www.obscuresound.com/2023/08/the-last-optimist-seed-water-sun/
by Mike Mineo
“Alternative Folk Artist The Last Optimist uses his music as a tool for awakening on new release ‘seed water sun’ an album both emotionally subtle and brimming with ethereal power.”
by Eugene Tierney
"Raised on the DIY folk punk activism influences of Ani Difranco and Fugazi, it’s easy to see how the last optimist forged his own strong-willed and wholly original path, pairing indie rock with emo folk, social activism with transcendentalism, trauma with solace, dissonance with poetry."
by James Moore
Artist Name: the last optimist
Location: Boston MA
Release Title: seed water sun (LP)
Release Date: July 13, 2023
Label: Last Optimist Records (independent)
Musician Names/Instruments: Markus Belanger (Guitar, Vocals, Drums, Bass). Special thanks to Danielle Pinals for singing with me on ‘bloom now sweet flower’ and ‘not a sound.’ Special thanks to Doug Kwartler for instrumentation (upright bass, piano, electric guitar, drums, accordion, synths, glockenspiel, lap steel, banjo, percussion, and backup vocals).
Producer Name(s): Doug Kwartler, Hollow Body Studios, Chelmsford MA (https://www.hollowbodystudios.com/)
Similar/RIYL: Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Decemberists, Phoebe Bridgers, Finnegan Tui, Julian Baker, Ani DiFranco, (aspirational list written with extreme humility)
Genre(s): Singer/Songwriter, Indie, Folk, Emo
Side A
1. not a sound (feat. Danielle Pinals)
2. only two ways out
3. bloom now sweet flower (feat. Danielle Pinals)
4. shame you left me
5. hermit in the maples
Side B
6. one night in Belfast
7. love is like a simile
8. a thousand clover leaves
9. on monkton ridge
Markus “has carved out a niche with a unique delivery and down-to-earth lyricism that is entirely his own” and “is sure to help find comfort and solace for many listeners.” by Cody Conard
“Championing a heart-on-the-sleeve subgenre known as Sad Folk.” by Kath Galasso
“Empathy is hard to access when we can’t possibly imagine what something really feels like – but music can do that for us and this little song has some work to do in the world.” Interview with Mike Mineo
“How can you work under the moniker The Last Optimist and at the same time champion a sub-genre that some critics call ‘sad folk?” by Ljubinko Zivkovic
“Sad folk’ songwriter, poet, and activist Markus Belanger is the Last Optimist - a moniker that he had conjured during dark times for the globe.” by Jonathan Frahm
“Opening on a tender, glittering acoustic guitar topped by Markus’ evocative voice - the harmonic flow shifts with the entry of a dark rhythmic component, taking on the desperate colors of a panic attack.”
by Randall Radic
“The Last Optimist crafts indie folk flavored singer-songwriter fare that’s unique, extremely well written, and quirky.”
By the painted man in Music
“In the world today, it's tough to be an optimist - but not only is The Last Optimist offering up some hope here, there is a sense of being able to listen to this EP as a distraction, to forget about that outside world for a bit. While it won't make your problems go away, it can help to ease your mind and perhaps see them a little bit differently.”
By Joshua Macala
Official Website: www.lastoptimist.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LastOptimist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastoptimist2021/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0KnWqHWFOY2idY3mwrvDQJ?si=hGVSiBjzQ3i6kIUrUuuugQ
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lastoptimist
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelastoptimist
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-last-optimist/1562920829
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B092LBK373/the-last-optimist
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/156040742
qobuz: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/interpreter/the-last-optimist/download-streaming-albums
Artist Contact: Please use form at bottom of the home page and I will get right back to you
‘Seed Water Sun’ is an album of hope and resilience. These songs do not shy away from the troubles of our times but we can’t always rage. We also need the salve, the antidote, the solace so we can mourn our losses, heal our souls, and get back out there. The album spans the age old influences of Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and the transcendentalists while simultaneously embracing the future sounds heralded in by Phoebe Bridgers and Julian Baker. My hope is that these words help chart the path from rage to reconciliation, from wallowing to action, from mourning to healing, from dissonance to a rare moment of peace.
-the last optimist [?]
Raised on the DIY folk punk activism influences of Ani Difranco and Fugazi, Markus got his musical start in the emocore band ‘Stricken for Catherine,’ releasing 2 albums in the mid 90s. As the grunge era wound down, Markus turned to folk music forming ‘In Search of a Redheaded Fiddler’ which broke out at the Northern Rocky Mountain Folk Festival opening for Sam Bush. Markus’ newest project, ‘The last optimist [?]’ is an anomaly, pairing folk with emocore, social activism with transcendentalism, trauma with solace, dissonance with poetry. Following on the heels of 2 stripped down albums (‘make it alright with grace,’ and ‘this moment is gone’) the last optimist’s new LP ‘seed water sun’ is full and rich with the intricate instrumental tapestry of producer Doug Kwartler and the transcendent vocals of Danielle Pinals.
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