Old acquaintance Anjimile should not be forgot. A couple of years ago, North Carolina indie-folk singer-songwriter Anjimile Chithambo released The King, an album that got into the subject of living as a Black and trans person in a hostile world. Since then, he’s contributed to records from Hurray For The Riff Raff and McKinley Dixon, and now he’s back with his own stunning new song “Auld Lang Syne II.”
Anjimile recorded “Auld Lang Syne II” with Brad Cook, the big-deal indie producer who has also been a member of bands like Megafaun and Snocaps. It’s a soft, chiming acoustic lullaby that almost begs for Sufjan Stevens comparisons. Anjimile’s voice is tender and feather-light, and the sound of fingers squeaking on guitar strings is the kind of thing that makes a song like this feel all the more intimate, even as the horns come marching in. Here’s what Anjimile says about it:
“Auld Lang Syne II” was originally intended as something of a wedding present for my best friend, who got married a few years back. During the writing process, though, it transformed into something of a musing on the bittersweet nature of the passage of time — not just for my friend and her husband, but for me and my family and my close relationships.
Hypothetically: If your friend was writing a song for your wedding and then that song grew into a larger meditation on the nature of relationships, would you be happy about that? Or would you be like, “What the hell, dude?” I hope Anjimile’s friend is happy with it because the song is just a lovely piece of work. Listen below.
“Auld Lang Syne II” is out now on 4AD.
