Cavetown - Sleepyhead [Purple]

Cavetown's Sleepyhead feels like a diary left open on purpose, and this purple vinyl pressing gives Robin Skinner's 2020 album a suitably dreamy home.

The English songwriter built a devoted following as a teenager by sharing home recordings online, writing with a disarming honesty about anxiety, friendship and growing up. Sleepyhead was his first album for Sire Records, and while the production grew fuller, the intimacy that made those early uploads so special stayed firmly in place.

"Sweet Tooth" opens the album with a lilting melody and a bittersweet edge, and "Telescope" turns longing into something gently cosmic. "Snail", featuring chloe moriondo, pairs two soft voices to lovely effect, while "I Miss My Mum" is exactly as tender and direct as its title suggests.

Acoustic guitars, soft synths and Skinner's hushed vocals give the record its cosy, late-night atmosphere, the sound of someone talking themselves through a hard day and quietly inviting you to sit with them for a while. Nothing is rushed, and the gentle arrangements leave plenty of space for the lyrics to land.

For listeners who found comfort in Cavetown's music during uncertain times, this is a keepsake worth holding onto, and the purple vinyl makes it look every bit as soft and warm as it sounds on a late-night spin.