{{short description|2008 studio album by Mount Eerie}} {{for|the Burzum song|Det som engang var}} {{Use mdy dates|date = May 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Lost Wisdom | type = studio | artist = Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron and Frederick Squire | cover = Lost Wisdom.jpg | border = yes | alt = | released = {{Start date|2008|10|7}} | recorded = Anacortes, Washington | venue = | studio = | genre = Indie folk, lo-fi | length = 24:34 | label = P. W. Elverum & Sun<br/><small>(ELV 019/38)</small> | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Extra chronology | artist = Mount Eerie | type = studio | prev_title = Black Wooden Ceiling Opening | prev_year = 2008 | title = Lost Wisdom | year = 2008 | next_title = Dawn | next_year = 2008 }} {{Extra chronology | artist = Mount Eerie studio album | type = studio | prev_title = "No Flashlight": Songs of the Fulfilled Night | prev_year = 2005 | title = Lost Wisdom | year = 2008 | next_title = Dawn | next_year = 2008 }} {{Extra chronology | artist = Julie Doiron | type = studio album | prev_title = Woke Myself Up | prev_year = 2007 | title = Lost Wisdom | year = 2008 | next_title = I Can Wonder What You Did with Your Day | next_year = 2009 }} {{Extra chronology | artist = Frederick Squire | type = studio album | prev_title = Rubber Covered Painter Must Remain Inside Exit Flange to Maintain Anti-Wicking Seal | prev_year = 2004 | title = Lost Wisdom | year = 2008 | next_title = Daniel, Fred & Julie | next_year = 2009 }} {{Extra album cover | header = Limited edition album cover | type = studio | cover = File:Mount_Eerie,Lost_Wisdom,2008.jpg }} }} '''''Lost Wisdom''''' is the second studio album by Mount Eerie, with Canadian musicians Julie Doiron and Frederick Squire. It was released on October 7, 2008, on P. W. Elverum & Sun,<ref name="PDF ELV019">{{cite web | url = http://pwelverumandsun.com/images/ELV019onesheet_southern.pdf | title = Lost Wisdom | access-date = 2008-09-17 | publisher = P. W. Elverum & Sun | location = Anacortes, Washington | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110715133047/http://www.pwelverumandsun.com/images/ELV019onesheet_southern.pdf | archive-date = 2011-07-15 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="pfork">{{cite web |url = http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/142105-mount-eerie-talks-julie-doiron-collab-tons-of-releases |title = Mount Eerie Talks Julie Doiron Collab, Tons of Releases |access-date = 2008-09-17 |last = Solarski |first = Matthew |date = 2008-07-16 |publisher = Pitchfork |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080913012408/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/142105-mount-eerie-talks-julie-doiron-collab-tons-of-releases |archivedate = 2008-09-13 }}</ref> less than a month before Elverum's next album under the Mount Eerie name, ''Dawn'', was released, which featured songs from this album. A follow-up album, ''Lost Wisdom pt. 2'', was released in 2019, without Frederick Squire.
== Background and recording == Elverum considers Doiron his favorite singer,<ref name="PDF ELV019" /> and says recording with her was a "dream come true" for him.<ref name="pfork" /> She was a member of Eric's Trip, an indie noise pop band from the early 1990s, and has since recorded numerous solo albums. Elverum considers Eric's Trip his favorite band of all time, and says the band is "the reason why I got into playing music".<ref name="pfork" /> Frederick Squire is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist. Formerly a member of Shotgun & Jaybird, he would perform under the stage name Dick Morello.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180131140944/http://www.chartattack.com/news/2009/03/23/julie-doiron-has-the-midas-touch/ "Julie Doiron Has the Midas Touch"]}}. ''chartattack.com'', March 23, 2009.</ref>
The recording of the album was somewhat spontaneous. Doiron and Squire had a few days between a recent tour and an upcoming recording session in Olympia, Washington,<ref name="pfork" /> and made a surprise visit to Phil Elverum in Anacortes.<ref name="PDF ELV019" /> Initially they were just recording for fun without the pretense of recording an album.<ref name="PE" /> Elverum eventually did ask the two to record an album,<ref name="pfork" /> the three decided to do so and quickly recorded the album.
The album is named after the Burzum song of the same title.<ref name="HS" />
== Music == The title track was inspired by Elverum's time spent: {{Blockquote|text=Driving through northeast Oregon and Idaho alone in the middle of the night, thinking about what that Burzum song title could mean, without really even knowing the Burzum song at all. Thinking about how depressing it is that all we learn in our lives is lost and misunderstood by posterity no matter what. Also how even within our lives we quickly forget important lessons learned.<ref name="HS">{{Cite web|title=Phil Elverum on Six of His Songs|url=https://www.thebeliever.net/phil-elverum-on-six-of-his-songs/|last=Stosuy|first=Brandon|date=2009-07-01|website=Believer Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref>|author=|title=|source=}} The song was written while driving at night.<ref name="HS" /> A different version of the song "With My Hands Out" appears on Mount Eerie's 2004 release ''Seven New Songs'', and other tracks later appeared on ''Dawn'', released on 1 November 2008. Though the versions found on ''Dawn'' are actually the original versions of those songs written in 2002 and recorded in 2008.<ref name="PE" /> The track "Voice in Headphones" on this album reprises the chorus from Björk's song "Undo", over a different verse.<ref name="PE">{{Cite web|title=Interview: Phil Elverum (The Microphones/Mount Eerie) {{!}} Beats Per Minute|url=https://beatsperminute.com/interview-phil-elverum-the-microphonesmount-eerie/|last=Nichols|first=Ryan|date=2009-03-11|website=beatsperminute.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-14}}</ref> Elverum had previously covered Björk's "All Is Full of Love" on the 2001 Microphones album ''Blood''.
== Release == Due to the impromptu nature of the recording session Elverum didn't intend to release the album.<ref name="PE" /> However, the album was released on October 7 on LP and CD; the vinyl version included a double-sided jumbo poster. The album was re-released in 2019 in a double CD set alongside companion album ''Lost Wisdom pt. 2''.<ref name="PWES">{{cite web|title=Lost Wisdom|url=http://www.pwelverumandsun.com/store#mounteerie|website=pwelverumandsun|access-date=26 December 2019|archive-date=November 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117135059/https://www.pwelverumandsun.com/store#mounteerie|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Reception == {{Music ratings | MC = 82/100<ref name="Lost Wisdom">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/lost-wisdom/mount-eerie |title=Lost Wisdom |access-date=2016-12-18 |publisher=Metacritic}}</ref> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="AR">[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1437711|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]</ref> | rev2 = ''Alternative Press'' | rev2score = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref>Doiron's presence and Squire's understated electric guitar imbue the album with haunting, spectral beauty equal to anything Elverum's done. [Dec 2008, p.138]</ref> | rev3 = ''Cokemachineglow'' | rev3score = 80%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/4062/mounteerie-lostwisdom-2008|title=Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom|website=Cokemachineglow|last=Sams|first=Eric|date=November 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214113331/http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/4062/mounteerie-lostwisdom-2008 |access-date=May 5, 2025 |archive-date=February 14, 2010 }}</ref> | rev4 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev4score = 8.3/10<ref>[http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12292-lost-wisdom/ Pitchfork Media review]</ref> | rev5 = ''PopMatters'' | rev5score = 7/10<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/65054-mount-eerie-with-julie-doiron-fred-squire-lost-wisdom-2496108099.html|title=Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron & Fred Squire: Lost Wisdom|date=November 11, 2008}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' | rev6score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>[http://tinymixtapes.com/Mount-Eerie,7235 Tiny Mix Tapes review]</ref> | rev7 = ''Under the Radar'' | rev7score = 7/10<ref>After years of solidarity, though, Elverum thankfully finds some much-needed human contact on Lost Wisdom, his most engaging LP since he retired the Microphones moniker. [Year End 2008, p.80]</ref> }}
Upon release, the album received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album has received an average score of 82, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 8 reviews.<ref name="Lost Wisdom" />
Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that despite the fast time to create the album "its simplicity and immediacy sound intimate instead of tossed off" she also complimented the chemistry between Elverum and Doiron writing that "He and Doiron sound completely natural yet haunting trading verses".<ref name="AR" />
== Track listing == {{Track listing | all_writing = Phil Elverum | total_length = 24:34 | title1 = Lost Wisdom | length1 = 4:14 | title2 = Voice in Headphones | length2 = 2:16 | title3 = You Swan, Go On | length3 = 1:25 | title4 = Who? | length4 = 2:24 | title5 = Flaming Home | length5 = 2:29 | title6 = What? | length6 = 2:06 | title7 = If We Knew... | length7 = 1:37 | title8 = With My Hands Out | length8 = 1:39 | title9 = O My Heart | length9 = 3:17 | title10 = Grave Robbers | length10 = 1:47 }}
==Personnel== *Phil Elverum – vocals, most instruments, recording, songwriting, and production *Julie Doiron – harmony vocals and recording *Frederick Squire – acoustic and electric guitar, recording *Karl Blau – engineering
== LOST WISDOM live at Gunjyo, March 12th, 2010 == {{Infobox album | name = LOST WISDOM live at Gunjyo, March 12th, 2010 | type = Live | artist = Mount Eerie | cover = File:Mount_Eerie,_Lost_Wisdom,_Live_Cover.jpg | alt = | released = July 4, 2012 | recorded = | venue = Gunjyo, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan | genre = Indie Folk | length = 24:56 | label = 7e.p. | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = }} On July 4, 2012, Tokyo based label 7e.p. released a live album of ''Lost Wisdom'' in its entirety entitled ''LOST WISDOM live at Gunjyo, March 12th, 2010.'' The album was recorded at Gunjyo, Matsumoto by Koji Saito. Mastering was done by Masaki Tada. The album was released as a bonus disc for ''"Clear Moon / Ocean Roar"''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LOST WISDOM live at Gunjyo, March 12th, 2010, by Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron & Will Kidman|url=https://7eptokyo.bandcamp.com/album/lost-wisdom-live-at-gunjyo-march-12th-2010|website=7e.p.|access-date=2020-05-18}}</ref>
=== Track listing === {{Track listing | all_writing = Phil Elverum | total_length = 24:56 | title1 = Lost Wisdom | length1 = 4:10 | title2 = Voice in Headphones | length2 = 2:06 | title3 = You Swan, Go On | length3 = 1:34 | title4 = Who? | length4 = 2:44 | title5 = Flaming Home | length5 = 2:45 | title6 = What? | length6 = 2:23 | title7 = If We Knew... | length7 = 2:11 | title8 = With My Hands Out | length8 = 2:10 | title9 = O My Heart | length9 = 3:24 | title10 = Grave Robbers | length10 = 1:29 }}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Mount Eerie}} {{Julie Doiron}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Mount Eerie albums Category:Julie Doiron albums Category:2008 collaborative albums Category:Frederick Squire albums