diff --git a/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte b/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte
index 7db3e81..120a7d0 100644
--- a/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte
+++ b/src/components/NowPlaying.svelte
@@ -104,11 +104,19 @@
         return sub.includes(" — ") ? sub.split(" — ")[0].trim() : sub;
     });
     // Artist / album split for the separate, clickable identity lines.
+    // Per field, like the player bar's: the item's own artist/album win when
+    // present (the continuation fill writes them beside a bare-artist `sub`),
+    // and each half falls back to the `sub` split on its own — a library play
+    // carries only `artist`, with the record's name living inside `sub`.
     const metaParts = $derived.by(() => {
         const sub = player.track?.sub ?? "";
-        return sub.includes(" — ")
+        const split = sub.includes(" — ")
             ? sub.split(" — ").map((s) => s.trim())
             : [sub.trim(), ""];
+        return [
+            currentItem?.artist ?? split[0] ?? "",
+            currentItem?.album ?? split[1] ?? "",
+        ];
     });
 
     const LOSSLESS = new Set(["FLAC", "WAV", "ALAC", "AIFF", "APE"]);
diff --git a/src/components/PlayerBar.svelte b/src/components/PlayerBar.svelte
index 9609c15..ac47d28 100644
--- a/src/components/PlayerBar.svelte
+++ b/src/components/PlayerBar.svelte
@@ -43,21 +43,23 @@
     const canScratch = $derived(!currentItem?.stream);
     /** Artist and album for the separate, clickable meta lines.
      *
-     * The queue item's OWN `artist` / `album` fields come first, and splitting
-     * `sub` on the em dash is only the fallback. `sub` is a display convenience
-     * that not every path fills the same way: the album-continuation fill
-     * (`maybeExtendAlbumQueue`) writes a bare artist into it while carrying the
-     * album right alongside, so a record played straight through lost its album
-     * name from the second track on — which is exactly what it looked like.
-     * Local library rows carry neither field, and those still fall back. */
+     * Per FIELD, not all-or-nothing. The queue paths disagree about what an
+     * item carries: the album-continuation fill writes artist AND album
+     * fields beside a bare-artist `sub`; a library play (`playAlbum`) writes
+     * only `artist`, with the record's name living inside `sub`
+     * ("artist — album"); old restored items may carry neither. Preferring
+     * the item's fields as a PAIR whenever either existed took `album: null`
+     * at face value and erased the record from every library play — each
+     * half now falls back to the `sub` split on its own. */
     const metaParts = $derived.by(() => {
-        if (currentItem?.artist || currentItem?.album) {
-            return [currentItem.artist ?? "", currentItem.album ?? ""];
-        }
         const sub = player.track?.sub ?? "";
-        return sub.includes(" — ")
+        const split = sub.includes(" — ")
             ? sub.split(" — ").map((s) => s.trim())
             : [sub.trim(), ""];
+        return [
+            currentItem?.artist ?? split[0] ?? "",
+            currentItem?.album ?? split[1] ?? "",
+        ];
     });
     const volumeIcon = $derived(
         player.muted || player.volume === 0
@@ -791,8 +793,14 @@
             <!-- Artist and album on ONE line, which is what a 62px bar can pay
                  for. The `.who` idiom from the album page: a 50%-opacity middot
                  between them, and no underline until hover. -->
-            {#if player.status === "buffering"}
-                <span class="who"><span class="sub">{metaParts[0] || "buffering…"}</span></span>
+            <!-- A resolver-phase track has no `path` (playQueueIndex always
+                 writes one), and its `sub` IS the status line — show it bare.
+                 The moment a real queue item owns the transport, the full
+                 clickable line renders, buffering or not: gating it on
+                 status=playing made the album flash in a beat after the
+                 title and artist. -->
+            {#if player.track && !player.track.path}
+                <span class="who"><span class="sub">{player.track.sub || "buffering…"}</span></span>
             {:else if player.track && (metaParts[0] || metaParts[1])}
                 <span class="who">
                     {#if metaParts[0]}