At the Dam is a solo studio album by American harpist Mary Lattimore. It was released on March 4, 2016, through Ghostly International. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Background Mary Lattimore is an American harpist originally from Asheville, North Carolina. In 2014, she received a fellowship from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. She used the grant to fund a road trip across the United States and created At the Dam with her harp and laptop. The album contains five tracks, clocking in at 44 minutes. The album's title is taken from an essay in Joan Didion's book, The White Album (1979), about the Hoover Dam. The album was released on March 4, 2016, through Ghostly International. Music videos were released for "Otis Walks into the Woods" and "Jimmy V".
Critical reception
Paul Simpson of AllMusic wrote, "The album sounds as billowing and ethereal as one would expect from a solo harpist, but Lattimore's sense of experimentation gives her a distinctive sound, and At the Dam is simply a magnificent album." Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork stated, "On its face a seemingly modest project, At the Dam bursts with ambition and ideas, offering a meditation on the ever-evolving relationship Lattimore has to her instrument and the spaces she shares it with." Matthew Fiander of PopMatters commented that "Lattimore delivers a haunting, lasting performance, one that feels solitary but never spare, alone but never lonesome."
Accolades + Year-end lists for At the Dam Publication List Rank AllMusic Favorite Electronic Albums
Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes.
Mary Lattimore – harp, production, recording Rob Laakso – recording Jeff Zeigler – mixing James Plotkin – mastering Becky Suss – painting Michael Cina – design
References
External links