Andy Shauf - The Party (10th Anniversary) [2LP]

Andy Shauf's The Party turns one small-town house party into a collection of short stories full of awkward glances and quiet regrets, and this 10th anniversary edition spreads it across two LPs.

The Saskatchewan songwriter first released the album in 2016 on Anti-, after years of making records largely on his own, playing nearly every instrument himself and threading his signature clarinet through the arrangements alongside sweeping strings. Each song follows a different guest through the evening, so the record unfolds like a novel told from shifting points of view, funny, sad and painfully relatable all at once.

The Magician opens with a lilting, slightly woozy groove, while Early to the Party captures the nervy agony of arriving first and having nowhere to hide. Quite Like You fumbles toward an ill-timed confession, and Martha Sways closes the night with a bittersweet drift. Shauf's soft, close-miked vocals and gently off-kilter rhythms give everything a hazy, after-midnight warmth that lingers long after the last guest leaves.

A decade on, The Party has become a cult favorite and a touchstone for literate indie songwriting. This anniversary pressing is a fine excuse to step back inside, refill your glass and catch all the little conversations and side remarks you missed the first time around.