by Sufjan Stevens » 9/24/2004, 1:36 pm
I'm sitting alone at school right now and have nothing better to do (well, going home would be one thing) so I am going to update this bitch for the first time in what seems like forever. And apparently, forever is less than a month.
I've been listening to so much new music that I am offically poor due to all the purchasing of new CDs. So, naturally, I am going to recommend a band that doesn't do much of anything at all anymore. The Microphones - The Glow Part 2 will be my choice of the hour for everyone.
Phil Elvrum, singer/genius of The Microphones wrote this album back in 2001 to extreme critical review. The album's title comes from a previous song they wrote, The Glow (as if you didn't see that one coming) off their album "It Was Hot, So We Stayed In The Water." The song stood out from the rest of the album that they decided to almost make a continuation of it.
Before I go any further, I am giving you all a fair warning. If you don't like fuzzy sounds in your music, don't bother downloading anything from this album, as the fuzzy radio static makes a prevalent appearance in all of their music. If you are still reading, the CD starts off with the song "I Want The Wind To Blow" a stripped down acoustic song with Phil's sleepy voice accompanying the general backdrop.
As soon as that 5 minute opener ends, it flows into "The Glow, Part 2" the highlight of this album. It has lots of things going on in this song. There's lots of organs, piano, guitar, and static. The most noticable thing in this song is Phil's uncontrollable voice. It reminds me of Thom Yorke (yeah, I know I just said that) in the way the random inflections don't detract from the music. As the actual song ends, it flows into an amazing guitar outro that just grabs you and keeps you wrapped up until the end.
"Headless Horsemen" goes back to the usual Phil + acoustic guitar = somber masterpiece equation. The way the guitar compliments Phil's voice when his voice lowers throughout the song just keeps you mesmorized. The vocals blend so perfectly with the guitar that you are left speechless, and you don't know why.
"I'll Not Contain You" has Phil's dark lyrics mixed with something you don't hear too often with The Microphones, harmonies. He doesn't believe in them, so they're few and far between, and when they do come, the other vocals are his own.
"Map" features that same acoustic guitar, and fuzz with a bit of a twist. The well-renowned Microphones alum, Mirah, makes an appearance on this song with her soft vocals. It blends with Phil's voice perfectly. You all know Mirah if you've been keeping up with my recommendations, and if you haven't, you suck at life.
Anyways, I'm sick of typing and want to go home, so I am cutting it short here. There are 18 songs on this album for me to review that I just don't have time for at this second.
Recommended songs: The Glow Pt. 2, The Mansion, Headless Horsemen, My Roots Are Strong and Deep, I Want The Wind To Blow, The Gleam Pt. 2, Map.
Download, and you will not be disappointed. In fact, you might like it.
And here's a word of advice. If a band has ever been on K Records, it's worth listening to. Check it out, you'll love it.
I faced death. I went in with my arms swinging. But I heard my own breath and had to face that I'm still living. I'm still flesh. I hold on to awful feelings. I'm not dead... My chest still draws breath. I hold it. I'm buoyant. There's no end.