Retrospective - I See A Darkness

Retrospective Guest Review
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
I See A Darkness
(01.1999, Palace Records)
10.0/10

When I become acquainted with an incredible album I generally have one of two immediate reactions, inspiration or devastation. Some albums inspire and motivate my creativity, or at least my desire to be a creative person. Other albums devastate any notion that I might be capable of the type of creativity presented. I See A Darkness is one of the few albums that in some ways inspires, in some ways devastates, but in all ways demands your attention.

I came upon I See A Darkness a few years after its initial release. Music is a constant process of catch up, and in an effort to retrace the musical landscape in which I live I read a critics list of the best albums of the 90’s. It was somewhere on the list, and for an unknown reason this album peaked my interest. Acting on this cursory introduction I bought the album without any notions of what I might encounter. The physical album only added mystery to my approach. The ominous cover was black with a strangely shaped gray skull. On the back was an anything but ominous picture of a goofily smirking, mustachioed Will Oldham sitting on a porch with an old straw like hat on his chest. The disk went into my car stereo.

The first song begins with sparse drums, echoing piano, and simple acoustic bass and guitar. Without much introduction the voice and words arrive. Will Oldham’s warbling, nasal voice sings "Well I’ve been to a minor place." He later clarifies this isn’t an insignificant or small place, it is "minor in a sound alone." From this foreboding start, I See A Darkness proceeds to enthrall, charm, and stupefy with its simplicity, beauty, and conflict. Although slow and dark, with song titles such as "I See a Darkness," and "Death to Everyone", the album is less depressing than one might expect. Will Oldham’s eccentricities color each song, and his smirk seems to pervade the entire album.

To me, the brilliance of the album is epitomized in the chorus of ‘Another Day Full of Bread’ in which Will sings "nip! nap! It’s all a trap. Bo! Bis! And so is this," followed by "ding! dong! A silly song. Sure do say something’s wrong." Now, if you haven’t yet heard the album, try and imagine musical accompaniment and a voice that could legitimize such silly lyrics. Then you will have a vague idea of what this dark yet quirky album is all about. Regardless, it is one of my favorites, and an album that to this day hasn’t relinquished its grip. Also worth notice is Johnny Cash’s cover of the song "I See A Darkness" with Will singing backup.

-Spruce Lee

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - "I See A Darkness"

Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks

Retrospective Review

Max Richter
The Blue Notebooks
(05.2004, Fat Cat)
10.0/10

Max Richter classifies his solo work as "post-classical," a word at which many people cringe, including myself in most instances. With so much cheesy forced emotion and boring drawn out contorted Bach out there it's difficult to sort through and really find the artists that are creating a new breed of classical that is actually listenable. The Blue Notebooks is more than just listenable, it's heartbreakingly incredible. It puts most striving modern day composers to shame. It's even puts quite a few old masters to shame. This album is a masterpiece. Inspired by Philip Glass and Kafka's Blue Octavo Notebooks, Richter built his own analog instruments, paired them with classical string instruments and made one of the most stunning and affecting albums ever recorded. The delicate melancholy songs were used to soundtrack one of my favorites movies of 2006, Stranger Than Fiction. The soundtrack made the movie. The Blue Notebooks is absolutely gorgeous and I would recommend it to anyone regardless of whether than enjoyed classical compositions or not.

-Sassigrass

Max Richter - "The Trees"

Boom Bip & Doseone - Circle

Retrospective

Boom Bip & Doseone

Circle

(2002, Mush)

8.5/10

Boom Bip and Doseone explored uncharted territory in one of the most abstract collaborations to ever grace the world of music when they created Circle. 29 tracks of stream-of-conscious lyrical madness provided by Dose is laid over incredibly varied and loosely moving obscure beats (if you can call them that) from Boom Bip. This is one of the most bizarre albums I have ever heard. No one knows quite what genre this falls under. I've seen it placed under such labels as futurism and hip-not, honestly I don't think a genre label is necessary cause there is nothing like this album, and probably never will be. That is the genius behind this album. It's so experimental that it is incredibly unique. It feels like a poetry reading crossed with a nightmare of epic proportions. Reviewers debate whether the lyrics are a social commentary or just complete absurdity. Whatever they are, the speed and quality of Doseone's lyrical amazement is sure to interest anyone with literary leanings. Each song is constantly varied so that listening to the album all the way through feels very similar to watching a movie. As much as I think this album is incredibly important, genius in its progressiveness and very daring, its just not something you could listen to everyday. It will leave you baffled and amazed, confused and slightly scared- you will listen to it a few times out of curiosity, but there is absolutely nothing catchy about this album and unless you are an avante-garde junkie, you'll quietly catalog it with the rest of your music as a prize jewel intended for safe keeping.

-Sassigrass

Boom Bip & Doseone - "The Bird Catcher's Return"

Colleen - Everyone Alive Wants Answers

Retrospective
Colleen
Everyone Alive Wants Answers
(Leaf, 2003)
9.5/10

Producing miniature loop based suites; Colleen’s debut Everyone Alive Wants Answers plays like an elaborate dream or a lulling nightmare. The pseudonym of artist Cecile Schott, Colleen has released two proper full length records since her debut, including this year’s Les Ondes Silencieuses which sees her expanding into more classical areas. Even with her constantly forward thinking and consistently mesmerizing catalog it is Everything Alive Wants Answers that truly bewitches beyond all else. Mixing beauty with magic and magic with mystery and mystery with horror, Everything Alive Wants Answers could have easily been the cinematic mood piece that has spun Pan’s Labyrinth. Colleen incorporates an organic nature to her electronic stylings that involves a barrage of classical instruments along with purposeful recording methods and found sound and field recordings. Schott shows her mastery of the mini opus with pop sized gems that instantly transform you inner disposition. While the first halve may playfully lift, depending on your temperament, the second halve of the disc dips undoubtedly into creepier territory, guiding you through a serious of slightly off-kilter music box sonatas. All and all, Colleen’s debut is a masterfully unique piece of art that must be heard to be truly understood.

-Mr. Thistle

Luke Temple - Hold A Match For A Gasoline World

Retrospective

Luke Temple
Hold A Match For A Gasoline World
(2005, Mill Pond Records)
8.5/10

Luke Temple is a singer-songwriter with heartfelt personal lyrics..... that statement I just wrote is ususally something that would make me a little cautious of an album. In fact, I hardly ever even look into so called "singer-songwriters." Hold A Match For A Gasoline World is an album that Mr. Thistle showed to me a few years ago, and since discovery it has become a sure staple in my music collection. It's laid back Northwestern feel and simple melodies are incredibly charming. The lyrics are honest and interesting. It's somewhat of a autobiographical album for Temple. The album is simply Temple's vocals and his guitar, occaisional coupled by light percussion. Sounds boring right? It's not. Every song is a gem, as well as incredibly singable. Even everyone's mom can sing along to the second track on the album, "Make Right With You" since it was featured on Grey's Anatomy. Temple's new album, Snow Beast is scheduled to come out this summer, and if it's anything like Hold A Match For A Gasoline World, then I am looking forward to discovering a new beautiful album.

- Sassigrass

Luke Temple- Private Shipwreck

Kallikak Family - May 23rd 2007

Restrospective
Kallikak Family
May 23rd 2007
(2005, Tell-All Records)
10.0/10

The Kallikak Family’s second full length release, May 23rd 2007, is a literary masterpiece. Without a verbally coherent utterance spanning 17 tracks, The Kallikak Family reads like the most engaging and enlightening experience on the printed page. Don’t let the bookish allusions pass you, if you don’t like to read you may not like May 23rd 2007; a concept album bent on the impending date of the protagonist’s death. Now being well after May 23rd of 2007 I thought it an appropriate time to revisit the 2005 masterwork. A masterwork indeed; Andrew Peterson, genius behind May 23rd, has managed an almost indescribable vision of the harsh vision and delicate beauty of a human life. Employing beautiful folk melodies, disjointed percussive backdrops and manipulated tape effects with vocal samples; Peterson has created an experimental work that has a beating, endearing heart, and in opposition to most experimental music is readily accessible. Endless depth of character and the overarching musical vision (back-story or not) is an audible treat that will undoubtedly inspire its few finders long after its predicted funeral.

- Mr. Thistle

Kallikak Family - Second Phase