Sean McCann's Open Resolve to be Resurrected

I don’t usually do things like this, but since I explicitly asked for it in my review early last year (which will remain poorly written and unedited), I feel I’m duty-bound to share that Open Resolve, Sean McCann’s masterpiece among masterpieces, is to be reissued on vinyl by Orange Milk Records.

It remains one of the best albums on the earth. For realz.

Pre-orders happening here.

Sean McCann - Prelusion

(Recital, 2011)

RIYL = Stars of the Lid, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Greg Davis

Change is good. That said, Sean McCann’s decision to abandon (for this release anyway) the vibrant crystal-clutter dissonance/beauty that’s made so many of his recent releases (Midnight Orchard, Open Resolve, Chances Are Staying, The Capital, etc.) essential has freed me from my previous Sean McCann reviewing policy: all-gushing-all-the-time. That’s right, no more freely positive reviews Mr. McCann, no more. Well, at least no more over-the-top gushing. Prelusion may stray from multi-layered juxtapositions, but that doesn’t mean that it is any less layered or, in reference to his other work, any less beautiful. Though, that said, it is also not quite as interesting as some of McCann’s previous work. Prelusion is more interested in calming, languid spaces and displays a much more minimalist approach to ambiance and tone. In the course of four long-form tracks, McCann moves in wide, slow steps, a virtually monochromatic tonality that, in the path from A to B, transforms almost without notice. Prelusion may not be a new vision of drone music, but it is certainly well executed and absolutely dreamy in the most literal sense.  (Note: Prelusion is an edition of 75(!) CDrs and is sold out at the source, but, as of my writing this, is still available through some of Recital's distributors--The More You Know.) 

Sean McCann - "Have I Forgotten?"

Sean McCann - The Capital (2011, Aguirre)

RIYL = Axolotl, Yellow Swans, Caboladies

I’m contractually obligated to review anything Sean McCann releases in the following way: Gushingly. In said reviews, it is outlined that I must reference McCann’s extensive back catalog. In referencing his previous work, it’s important I remark that, despite the usual pitfalls plaguing overly ambitious/productive artists, McCann’s work is consistently of the utmost quality. I’m then to explain why McCann’s most recent release may just be the best thing he has produced to date. This followed by some abstract explanation of the sound of his new work – said explanation containing how expertly Mr. McCann “manages” to blend cacophony and beauty. I’m contractually obligated to conclude said description with the listener’s brain short circuiting amidst the sheer amazingness of McCann’s latest album. Governments that be will require an immediate parenthetical. This containing a disclaimer that my claims have not been formally evaluated by their audio-scientific staff. I will contend with this but eventually submit. I’m a pushover in these types of situations. The review will conclude with a prophetic conjecture that nothing could possibly top this in the course of the remaining year; that this is the best of the best.  This is one of those reviews.

Sean McCann - The Vanilla Maiden

Best Albums of 2010

40. Pigeons - Si Faustine
39. Ou Où - Baron Von Baron
38. Kemialliset Ystävät - Ullakkopalo
37. Forest Swords - Dagger Paths
36. Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - Love is a Stream
35. Avey Tare - Down There
34. Chris Schlarb - Psychic Temple
33. The Last Dog to Visit the Center of the Earth - Colossus Archosaur
32. Caballos y Entusiasmo - Hidropony
31. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People
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30. TOMO - Butterfly Dream and Other Guitar Works

If you scroll down a bit, you'll see that I just recently reviewed this one. An absolutely gorgeous instrumental guitar/drone album with magical healing qualities for the body and soul.

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Would've

This is a listing of albums that I came to way too late in the game, and that would have, given the proper timing, been most certainly counted among my favourite albums of this past decade. It’s a category, I expect, will continue to grow over the course of this new decade. Each is worthy, without question, of being listed in any best of the decade listing for 2000-2009.

Fire Show
Saint The Fire Show
(Perishable, 2002)

Saint The Fire Show is one of those completely off-the-charts-unique, slightly grating albums that spins in a universe all its own and, eventually, with repeated listens, turns into something astounding and permanently scarring (an experience reminiscent of Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock or Slint’s Spiderland). Post-rock experimentalism at its most crooked and awry.


Sean McCann
Midnight Orchard
(2009, Roll Over Rover)

I’ve already written this up here.














The Skygreen Leopards
One Thousand Bird Ceremony
(Soft Abuse, 2003)

The pastoral, patchwork folk of The Skygreen Leopards was never so disassembled and airy, pristine and sunlight twinkling, as gorgeous as it is on their debut for Soft Abuse. Why I waited so long to listen to the boys on their debut after so thoroughly enjoying their now more pop oriented psych folk, is beyond me. Don’t let it happen to you. No wait, you knew better. Loveliness.


Peter Kolovos
New Bodies
(Thin Wrist, 2009)

Did I mention that the vinyl packaging for New Bodies is absolutely deluxe? So is everything on Thin Wrist. Of course, I just reviewed this thing last week, but have been listening to it for a good enough amount of time to know that it will imprint on this past decade most solidly. Essential.


-Thistle

Sean McCann - Chances Are Staying

Sean McCann
Chances Are Staying
(2010, DNT Records)
RIYL = Emeralds, Caboladies, Axolotl

Forest Gospel loves Sean McCann. Not simply because he is handsome (something we have yet to verify), but because of the handsomeness of his be-a-utiful recordings. Chances Are Staying is no exception. Pure loveliness and all that. And, to add to the excitement, this is the first time the man’s work has been pressed to vinyl. Read: essential. This is an essential recording my fledgling Forest Gospleateers. I will make this quick and easy (if you need to know how silly McCann makes us, simply check our/my reviews here and here). Two sides rumbling on this sucka. Side A is an expansive 16 minute plus drone fest – McCann’s specialty. This slab is bubbling and elongated, slithering, lapping waves. Violins and saxophones mapping things out, flowing, building and releasing. It’s classic McCann without the edges. Everything is smoothed out a bit, but still muscular. A moxie of constricting layers. Gorgeousness prevails, of course. Side B is three pieces congealed into one. It starts up with near ten minutes of the jagged, noisy bliss that similar to that which swam about on Open Resolve and Midnight Orchard, all set to a loose drum beat that seems like it falls off a bit at times, or is that an audio illusion? This is followed by “Stasis,” a brief two minutes of minor key tones that change shades glowingly and then into the finally, “The World He Left Behind,” which reminds me of a mix between Caboladies and Axolotl. So, like I said, essential.

-Thistle

McCann on MySpace

Sean McCann - Open Resolve

Sean McCann
Open Resolve
(2010, Stunned)
RIYL = amazingness

I warned everyone earlier this year about Sean McCann. In fact, it’s only been a little over a month since I posted about Midnight Orchard. I'm back to report more. And rest assured, I will continue to do so, because if I’ve learned anything about Mr. McCann, it’s that he is the embodiment of prolificacy. And in an awesome seemingly illogical way, he is also represents the highest standards of quality. Prolificacy and quality usually don't make good bedfellows. Fortunately, McCann is a modern genius folks. Let me just pause here for a moment here to notify you that this here tape, Open Resolve, the one I'm going to write about shortly, is limited to 111 copies. If you value music you will buy it immediately. Just saying. What do I think about it? Well, as you can see above, I personally equate the music on this plastic cassette to be on equal footing with amazingness. That is, the physical state being that is amazingness. Open Resolve fits squarely into that category. This is just one of those musical documents that requires the most broad, far reaching descriptors, but then is undermined by them. I’ll try to avoid them, but I’m going to fail. Here we go: side A is separated into four songs which run the gamut from soul-devouring, free-jazz-informed ambient-drone blitzkriegs to gentle, lilting string epiphanies. It is a series of epiphanies really. We’re talking hardcore Joycean epiphanies too, not just those small tickling ones characterized by butterflies. I love McCann because he can manage to wrangle the most tonally eschewed squalor into something that can still be defined as beautiful. I was just about to say that “Scapula,” the open track on side A was the perfect example of this with its clutter of brass, strings and drums, but really, the whole tape is the perfect example. Seann McCann is the perfect example. Side B carries the gloriously expansive “Pass Away,” a near twenty minute ocean of internal cacophony that is the epitome of what I’m would like to dub “noise grandeur.” That being noise that somehow transcends that somehow transcends the atonality of its separate parts to create an overwhelmingly gorgeous state of grandeur. The piece is followed by a beautifully dissolving coda and that is that. Stunned Records, this is a request from me to you, please extend this run. Not only that, put it on vinyl. I’m willing to invest in this. Check the email on the sidebar; let me know what I need to do. How is it that the best music I’ve heard so far this year going to be relegated to a miniscule 111 tapes? Get them fast folks, this may be the only physical document of Open Resolve that you will ever have (it's almost sold out, but you can still find it through a couple distributors - google!).

-Thistle

Sean McCann on Myspace
Check out McCann's previous CDr release on Stunned Records, Sway. It's sold out and is freely downloadable here.

Seann McCann - Midnight Orchard

Sean McCann
Midnight Orchard
(2009, Roll Over Rover)
RIYL = Scott Tuma, Silver Antlers, Aaron Martin

Initially, when considering how to introduce you to Sean McCann, I considered a kind of super post – an introduction to a portion of the works that the man produced last year (and trust me, there were a lot of them). I couldn’t bring myself to write about McCann last year for various illogical reasons which I’ll have to explain. First, to call Sean McCann prolific is to make one of the great understatements, perhaps the greatest understatement of 2009 (and 2008 for that matter). I think that I have used a line like that before, but you’ve never heard of anything like what McCann just did last year, I promise. The guy put out more music than Leyland Kirby, Caboladies and High Wolf combined. Discogs is telling me that he released 14 albums last year (and 11 the year before that). I know what you’re probably thinking. This guy must be recording himself eating cereal in the morning and brushing his teeth at night in order to put out that many albums. Not so. Not only has McCann put out 10 to 12 more albums than you favourite artist last year, the likelihood that each of those 14 albums was better than your favourite artist’s album is also probably true. How is that possible? I have no idea. McCann’s got me baffled. So, you’d think that for a guy putting out an average of 12 to 13 albums a year it would be pretty easy to get a hold of one. You’d be wrong again. Amongst the 14 releases under McCann’s name last year, the highest run of I could see was of 150 copies, averaging probably 60 or so per release. Why his releases are all so limited is beyond me; they’re each absolutely brilliant. And with them being all verging on out-of-this-world good, pretty much all of them are sold out. Can you see my predicament? How do I find and choose which Sean McCann to pitch to you? How do I competently listen to them all and report on them? What is the point of promoting albums that are not available? And I always feel funny putting albums that are limited to 100 or less physical copies onto a year end list for basically the same reasons. My mistake. Midnight Orchard, the cassette I've finally ended up writing about, should have not only been in my 2009 year end list, but my decade list as well. Don’t fret, there is light at the end of this tunnel. Sean McCann, the beautiful soul, has put out a lot of these cassettes, CDs and CDrs out on his own Roll Over Rover label who have in turn blessed you/me/the-world with digital copies of all the albums that have gone out of print. That means that you can download a good batch of these for free (including Midnight Orchard). And I’ll tell you this much, you are going to want to do just that. You are going to want to get good and familiar with Sean McCann because at the rate he is going, in another couple of years he’s going to own Music, with a capital M. Now lets talk about Midnight Orchard, shall we? The A side of the cassette consists of two tracks. The first, the album's namesake, is a forty minute exercise in pure melodic grandeur. There is no other way to consider it. The pacing and general tone here reminds me a lot of Scott Tuma, but McCann gets at this relaxed tonality by layer after layer of absolutely gorgeous strings. Cellos, Violins, Violas - I honestly don’t know what all he is using here, but rest assured, it is an orchestral vision that is blissfully unique and absolutely heavenly to listen to. McCann stirs up a thick syrup of amorphous strings that stretch and contort magnificently. Think of attending an orchestral performance in a grand opera house and the tuning that is occurring before the performance has begun and imagine it being slowed down and then meticulously arranged to produce the most blessed friction of noise. This is the droning wonderland "Midnight Orchard". The coda to side A is an even more impressive five minute stretch of gorgeousness that could probably be described in a manner similar to the forty minute stretch that proceeds it, but contains a whole different tonality, something of a more playful and experimental quality that completes the cassette nicely. Side B is stretched out over sixteen tracks and finds McCann working away at proving his skills with string arrangements. Each track is arranged wonderfully with added notes of muted percussion and often a more easily recognizable form attaching itself to each composition. Side B veers more closely to the works of Aaron Martin or Peter Broderick. The side is as well rounded as the first, and reveals and even wider spectrum of talent (something that you begin to get used to when traveling the many and varied waters of Sean McCann). I have posted the label’s link for this release below. I challenge you to download it and not fall in love. Soon you, like me, will be hanging on every release this guy puts out, hoping you too can secure a physical plot of genius produced by the hands of Sean McCann.

-Thistle

Click here to download Midnight Orchard for free!