Originally written 06-22-2022
I listened to this album on the shuttle heading home.
Home, funny enough, is something I associate distinctly with Left at London’s work. I was a 2 time closeted queer and trans kid when I listened to I Don’t Trust You Anymore.
Much like the sound of Transgender Street Legends Volume 3, both Nat and I have grown from that acoustic track.
Straight away. I was blown away by the audio mixing and the production. Puff is no slouch when it comes to production value within her music, but this release was truly a step above.
The start of the album, you can expect the absolute bright & engaging instrumentals despite the tonal difference SHH! Both SHH! & I’m Not Laughing Anymore we’re frankly some of the most stunning tracks on the album from a technical perspective to me, because Nat utilized a fantastic sense of theory to tell this story, without the instrumentals of these tracks, these stories could have absolutely still been told, but the shared unification of Puff’s stunning vocals & this musical storytelling instantly grabbed my attention unlike anything else I’ve listened to.
My Old Ways feels dreamlike, I’ve known myself to not be a fan of a lot of noise music but again, Puff is an expert of using every semblance of instrumentation to their advantage. Falling through remembering who you are, this song hit home on the drive home because it felt almost right to look back on ourselves, myself in this listen, without shame
Make You Proud and Will My Alters Go To Heaven crushed me in totally different ways.
I don’t believe it is my job to talk about Nat’s or my personal situations with family, especially loss. She’s shared what she is comfortable with in regards to the inspiration of Make You Proud. What was stunning to me, was the lack of grief within it.
Growing up celebrating Dia De Los Muertos, and living with the elderly myself, the resounding feeling of this song was a life celebration. Something utterly beautiful, and something that I feel is rarely recognized in music.
Will My Alters Go To Heaven made me cry. This was the one that wrenched my heart, this is the one that hit me with a wave of cathartic grief.
To look at the music itself. Getting a stunning piano track out of this album was not what I was expecting. This was one of the songs I had no clue about, and frankly, I think this is one of the most stunning features of Nat’s vocals in her entire library. This is raw & beautiful.
As someone who has also been left to ask the question, as someone who has come to understand my headmates, feeling that connection & knowing I wasn’t alone in that fear, was something I’ve never felt through music before…since I Don’t Trust You Anymore.
I know that this is the last volume of Transgender Street Lengends.
In a way, it feels like growing up.
This album is a principal feature of everything that is Left at London, & the sheer volume of talent she has. Knowing how long this album was in the making & the sheer passion that went into it. I will be kept aching for more & more of her work.
The stories being told in TSLV3 are seldom mainstream, but are absolutely vital stories, crafted by someone incredibly passionate & skilled to tell them.
Go listen to Transgender Street Lengends Volume 3, then do yourselves a favor, take in the rest of her discography too.
Thanks