The implicit ambiguity of instrumental music allows for endless interpretations and emotional reactions. For the eighth entry of the T&E vinyl vault, writer Brandon Biallas picks Explosions in the Sky's post-rock album The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place and writes about the compelling beauty he experiences with each listen.

On their 1986 compilation album, The Pink Opaque, Scottish band Cocteau Twins deliver an otherworldly sound combining elements of goth rock and ethereal wave. ​For the seventh entry in the vinyl vault, we spoke with our friend Molly "Mitch" Mitchell on the haunting beauty of this album, plus the importance of not dating people with shitty taste in music.

Everywhere at the end of time is a project by The Caretaker that consists of six albums recorded over three years, with the goal of exploring the concept of dementia. This gargantuan project is a harrowing conceptual journey carried through dark ambient soundscapes. For the fourth entry in the T&E Vinyl Vault, writer and photographer ​​Noé Loyola reflects on the deeply emotional themes of this record, as well as the abstract artwork featured in the gatefolds. 

Everyone remembers their first record purchase, and for this Vinyl Vault entry, T&E writer Alex explains how Black Sabbath's Paranoid sent him down the vinyl rabbithole. He also discusses the quirks of the Korean pressing, and how this seminal rock 'n roll album captured the cultural zeitgeist of the early 70s. 

There's something special about listening to a storybook on vinyl, and The Hobbit (1977) soundtrack is no exception. The record features the entire audio from the film, including the killer folk-infused prog rock musical score. For the 4th vinyl vault entry, T&E founder and wizard Parisa Eshrati discusses her nostalgic love for this soundtrack, the incredible inserts included in this pressing, as well as her appreciation for working at a local record store.