Seventh Heaven: Sarah McCreedy

Seventh Heaven: Sarah McCreedy

Back in 1977, NASA sent a probe into deep space laden with earthly goods. One such object was a golden record, containing some of the best music created by human beings: J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chuck Berry. All in the hope that, should life exist beyond our spacial borders, anyone that came into contact with the probe would be prepared for homo-sapien culture. 

But what if we got to choose which albums went into space?  

Seventh Heaven is a feature in which musicians and influencers pick their seven favourite albums and send them out into the heavens in the hope of spreading peace and good vibes throughout the galaxy. 

Writing for this edition of Seventh Heaven is Sarah McCreedy 

#1 Sufjan Stevens I Carrie and Lowell 

Stevens released Carrie and Lowell a few years after the death of his mother. I remember listening to the album for the first time, start to finish, and thinking: this always deserves to be listened to in its entirety. His working through of grief is sublime, harmoniously mixing confessional, mellow vocals, with beautiful string arrangements and deceptively simple ambience. What really captivates me about this album is its strangely uplifting nature, despite its sinister undertones. There’s something sort of impalpably mythological here, the kind of thing you listen to whilst looking out the window and imagining your life is an Oscar-winning picture (don’t pretend you haven’t done it too).

#2 Fleetwood Mac I Rumours 

Hearing Rumours for the first time in my parent’s car felt like learning how to walk or read or write. This will of course feature on countless Seventh Heaven editions, but how could it not? The tumultuous personal context, the sumptuous vocal harmonies of Buckingham/Nicks, the genre melting pot of acoustic/rock/folk/blues, Buckingham’s genius production... Despite the merit of McVie, I am guilty of paying particular attention to the Nicks central numbers. The fact that ‘Silver Springs’ only featured as a B-side to ‘Go Your Own Way’, and not as a track on this, is my one gripe with my favourite album of all time. Stevie Nicks will forever be my musical hero (and Bella Donna deserves an honourable mention in that respect). 

#3 Phoebe Bridgers I Stranger in the Alps 

Much like Stevens, this album seemed deeply personal to Bridgers, but I talked to so many listeners who said it felt that way for them too. To strike this fine balance between the personal and the universal is the mark of a talented songwriter, perhaps. Bridgers’s obsession with death strikes an existentially relatable chord, and her unapologetic honesty in lyrics like  ‘Jesus Christ I’m so blue all the time’ has revolutionised my own fear of vulnerability when I write music. Sometimes, emotionally, you just have to slice yourself open a little more, and Bridgers does that in stacks, so much so that I wanted to take a week off after the first listen. This is the kind of album that leaves me with the same lingering feeling of nauseous curiosity as a good psychological thriller. ‘Funeral’ is a suckerpunch. 

#4 John Mayer I Room for Squares 

This album was an absolute staple on my brick-like iPod Touch when I was becoming more and more obsessed with developing my guitar skills. I was about 16 then, and returning to this at 25, I feel all the nostalgia for that time, as well as a greater appreciation for the ‘quarter-life crisis’ that Mayer questions, ‘Am I living it right?’ Not knowing where you’re going, not knowing if you’re making the right choices… chronicled in unforgettable acoustic and blues infused guitar melodies. A profound thematic influence on my own song ‘Older’. 

#5 AURORA I All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend 

AURORA is irresistibly weird. All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend narrates twisted, Angela Carter-esque fairy-tales in tracks like ‘Nature Boy’ and ‘Murder Song (5,4,3,2,1)’.  In a recent interview with The Independent, AURORA said that ‘none of my songs are about me’. And that just blows my mind, the way that she can craft these emotionally rich and politically empowering songs that are in no way self-indulgent. I first heard the opening track ‘Runaway’ during a transitional period in my life and it still makes me cry every time I hear it. The mix of acoustic, electronic, and string arrangements on this album is so darkly magical and unique. 

#6 Haim I Days are Gone

The soundtrack to my car, 2013. Infectious fusions of pop, rock, and funk. 70s and 80s vibes. Bad-ass sisters with insane musical energy. Need I say more? 

#7 Maggie Rogers I Heard It In A Past Life 

I’ve got to finish this majestic list with the album I’ve had on repeat for the last few months. I was excitedly anticipating Rogers’s first album for some time and it does not disappoint. This album has everything: tracks to dance to, tracks to cry to, love songs, important reflections on mental health. Like AURORA, Maggie Rogers pushes the boundaries of genre with such an impressive and eclectic mix of influences, one that first brought her international recognition when Pharrell Williams heard ‘Alaska’. In the video that went viral, Williams says ‘ I have zero, zero, zero notes for that,’, ‘I’ve never heard anyone like you before, and I’ve never heard anyone that sounds like that’. And that’s pretty much the dream for an artist, isn’t it? Before her time in Europe, Rogers was primarily an acoustic artist who played the guitar and banjo. Her musical metamorphosis influences my own musical path: particularly, my desire to avoid being pigeon-holed into any one genre box. The sky is the limit with Rogers, and I admire the hell out of her.