Sauna is the easily the most accessible album that Phil Elverum has released in a while, or at least it's one of the easiest to listen to. So pretty, all the way through. I like the way that he characterizes this album as almost an assemblage of things he's been thinking about, or was thinking about when he recorded it last summer. His records occasionally feel a little like books--and this one does especially, with a mix of influences fed through a unique sensibility to produce something aesthetically remarkable. There's a bit of the darkness of the last three records, but also some of the insane melodic invention of It Was Hot..., Glow pt. 2, Mt. Eerie, Dawn. I can see why he referred to it as the "ultimate" Mount Eerie record, since it definitely feels like a summation of everything he'd explored previously. Perfect winter record.[BUY Sauna]