Listening Bar Albums

“Pearls” — A Quiet Weight in the Middle of Love Deluxe

“Pearls” — A Quiet Weight in the Middle of Love...

A brief, intimate reflection on Sade’s “Pearls,” exploring how its stripped-back production and quiet storytelling reveal the emotional weight at the heart of Love Deluxe.

“Pearls” — A Quiet Weight in the Middle of Love...

A brief, intimate reflection on Sade’s “Pearls,” exploring how its stripped-back production and quiet storytelling reveal the emotional weight at the heart of Love Deluxe.

Khruangbin — Con Todo El Mundo (2018)

Khruangbin — Con Todo El Mundo (2018)

A warm, borderless album that glides across cultures — and shows how Khruangbin turned global listening into a quiet new mood for cities everywhere.

Khruangbin — Con Todo El Mundo (2018)

A warm, borderless album that glides across cultures — and shows how Khruangbin turned global listening into a quiet new mood for cities everywhere.

Jimmy Cliff — Wonderful World, Beautiful People (1969)

Jimmy Cliff — Wonderful World, Beautiful People...

Jimmy Cliff’s Wonderful World, Beautiful People — an album of hope, truth, and luminous early-reggae that feels more vital than ever.

Jimmy Cliff — Wonderful World, Beautiful People...

Jimmy Cliff’s Wonderful World, Beautiful People — an album of hope, truth, and luminous early-reggae that feels more vital than ever.

Luther Johnson — They Call Me the Popcorn Man (1975)

Luther Johnson — They Call Me the Popcorn Man (...

Luther “Georgia Boy” Johnson’s They Call Me the Popcorn Man (1975) — a soulful Chicago blues session full of groove, ease, and lived-in charm.

Luther Johnson — They Call Me the Popcorn Man (...

Luther “Georgia Boy” Johnson’s They Call Me the Popcorn Man (1975) — a soulful Chicago blues session full of groove, ease, and lived-in charm.

Serge Gainsbourg — Histoire de Melody Nelson (1971)

Serge Gainsbourg — Histoire de Melody Nelson (1...

Rafi Mercer reflects on Histoire de Melody Nelson, Serge Gainsbourg’s haunting 1971 masterpiece — a short, cinematic, unforgettable album that still feels ahead of its time.

Serge Gainsbourg — Histoire de Melody Nelson (1...

Rafi Mercer reflects on Histoire de Melody Nelson, Serge Gainsbourg’s haunting 1971 masterpiece — a short, cinematic, unforgettable album that still feels ahead of its time.

Bonobo — Black Sands (2010)

Bonobo — Black Sands (2010)

A reflective Saturday-morning listen to Bonobo’s Black Sands, told in Rafi Mercer’s slow-listening voice — an album of movement, stillness, and the quiet architecture of sound. By Rafi Mercer There’s...

Bonobo — Black Sands (2010)

A reflective Saturday-morning listen to Bonobo’s Black Sands, told in Rafi Mercer’s slow-listening voice — an album of movement, stillness, and the quiet architecture of sound. By Rafi Mercer There’s...