Svetlana Finds Solace in the Arms of English Men of Letters, Vol. 1 (or simply just Svetlana) is the third released album by Moes Haven in February 2005 (although the actual release date is in dispute.) It is the first widely released album from the duo of Matt Farley and Tom Scalzo which features all new material instead of songs from previous recordings.
The album has 14 tracks, the majority of which stem from a recording session during one weekend in June 2004. According to the band, it is a concept album about English writer Samuel Johnson and Scottish biographer James Boswell, or more specifically, “the musical equivalent of James Boswell’s memories of his long-lost love, Svetlana, as he wanders through 21st century America.”
CDBaby lists a 2004 release date. Amazon lists a CD release date of February 2, 2005, and Spotify lists it as February 7, 2005. It seems most likely that Farley and Scalzo intended for the album to be released in late 2004, but it did not actually become available online until early February 2005.
The official CDBaby blurb describes Svetlana as “Raw, ragged and brimming with energy, most of these songs are from two days of manic songwriting and recording.”
Track 1, “Arizona’s Flat,” also appears on the 2009 best-of compilation It Takes a Lot of Guts!. Track 7, “Subterranean Lovesick Painter”, currently appears on the “Official Motern Media Playlist”.
On a 2023 episode of The Motern Media Infomercial Podcast (November 17, 2023, at 28:10), Farley mentions that there is an “unreleased volume 2” of Svetlana.
Reception
While the album did not get much attention, a blurb on the Record Store Day website gives it a rather glowing review, saying “If you’ve never heard of Moes Haven, buy this disc and discover the most inventive band around today. If you’re already converted, then here’s enough music to keep you happy for months.”
Track listing
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona’s Flat | 0:53 |
| 2 | How to Charge Up Your Cell Phone or Electric Razor | 0:57 |
| 3 | Cash in Your Savings Bonds, Pronto! | 3:28 |
| 4 | I Am a Callow Bloke | 1:23 |
| 5 | Subterranean Lovesick Painter | 2:17 |
| 6 | Spaceven | 2:50 |
| 7 | Foggy Yellow Moon | 1:53 |
| 8 | Ode to a Grecian General (Come On! Let’s Have Fun) | 3:09 |
| 9 | Halloween V | 1:05 |
| 10 | Viceroy | 4:00 |
| 11 | Is She Gonna Be Here Tomorrow? | 4:30 |
| 12 | Johnson Should Move to Cincinnati, Pronto! | 4:09 |
| 13 | I Love Hugh Grant | 2:06 |
| 14 | Sanitarium Employees Are Uninterested in My Memories | 7:01 |