Hauschka
Something about this seems to spawn productivity. Really nice album from Hauschka, who sticks to just piano a lot of the time.
(or so it seems – this is all I’ve heard).
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Jóhann Jóhannsson
Hugely orchestrated, film soundtrack-esque stuff. Could easily fit itself into being a big epic film soundtrack.
This release is a lot more grim and dark than Fordlandia, and to be brutally honest a lot of it reminds me of The Elder Scrolls dungeon music (in a good way). Kvltality aside, there are still some BAWWW pretty tracks on there to tide you lonely losars.
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Peter Broderick
For the first time in four months, I am home. How I longed for my own bed, my own privacy, and home-cooked food. Ah, yes, the wants of a student. I am finally home, but something feels strange. Home has become vacation. School has become home. Where do I belong? Someone who might understand this dilemma more than others is Peter Broderick. After growing up in Portland, Oregon, the city of musical stars like Elliott Smith and M. Ward, he left everything behind and moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, to play in Efterklang’s live show as a violinist. While touring with the band, he also opened all of their shows as a solo act. Before Home, his previous works were largely orchestral, centered around his piano work and flourished with strings and vocals. His live solo act deviated much from these albums. Instead, he returned to the style of the aforementioned Elliott Smith and M. Ward, a sort of tribute to his home. With simply guitar and vocals, Broderick shocked all of his fans with his ability to play violin with Efterklang, record gorgeous piano and string compositions, and play great, simple folk music live.
After finishing his tour with Efterklang, Broderick went into the studio to record Home. He recorded in Copenhagen, but the album fits perfectly into the Portland music scene: a little Smith, a little Ward, and a little Decemberists. While clearly derived from his live performances, Home could only happen in a studio, as Broderick layers drums, bells, guitars, and voices to the point where he becomes the definition of a one-man-band. At times, it seems like he just took his piano and strings compositions and moved them to guitar and voice. In fact, said Broderick of the album, “There were so many times when I thought, ‘Oh, this song would sound so great with a nice little string section here,’ but instead I forced myself to fill that space with something else, often times layered vocals, and/or guitars and percussion.”
The results may sound repetitive from that description, as the recording of Home was much more of an experiment for Broderick than anything. He deliberately avoided all piano and strings simply to prove to himself that he could write a full album without any of it. What resulted, however, was his most engaging and enjoyable album to date. Most songs begin with acoustic guitar patterns, growing organically with more and more layers adding in until it reaches a climax, often highlighting either polyphonic interplay (“And It’s Alright”) or beautiful homophonic harmonies (“Below It”). This style defines the longer songs on the album, but shorter vignettes offer the variety the album needs to stay alive. Opening song “Games” focuses much more on vocal harmony, with the acoustic guitar only adding in later to assist with the chordal structure. “Games Again” uses reverberated electric guitar and ambient tones to recall the melodies established in the opener, introducing new colors even at the end of the album. “There and Here” sounds as if a transcription from piano and strings to guitar and vocal ensemble – a sparse, wordless piece bridging the gap between two of the longer songs. Despite being shorter pieces, all of these vignettes stand out among the more standard songs on the album.
Given this is primarily a folk album, Broderick’s lyrics are more in the open than ever before. Here, his biggest faults come to light. The phrasing of his lyrics in “Below It” until the climax of “And with his fingers he will push…” sound awkward and forced, as if he took pre-written poetry and forced it into the song. Still, the beauty of the musical composition of the song overshadows the awkward lyrics. Often times, his lyrics feel arbitrary because of how well the composition overplays the lyricism. Hidden in one of the more forgettable musical songs, “Not at Home”, Broderick pens the lyrical center of the album. Here, he conjures the conflict inside of him between his home in Copenhagen and his home in Portland with the simple chorus “And when I’m home, I’m not at home.” Never are his lyrics complex, and for this reason, sometimes he pens the simplest, most meaningful lines that could pass over a listener without thorough analysis.
His third album in two years (on top of releasing two 7”s), Broderick shows his ability to compose well and often. As he grows as a person and experiences new things, he learns new colors to compose with and new experiences to write about. By the way, he’s only 21.
Artist: Peter Broderick
Album: Home
Genre: Acoustic / Folk / Classical
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/peterbroderick
- Track List -
01 Games [2:15]
02 And It’s Alright [5:20]
03 With The Notes In My Ears [2:40]
04 Esbern Snares Gade 11, 2tv [2:36]
05 Below It [4:02]
06 Sickness, Bury [6:06]
07 Not At Home [3:58]
08 There And Here [2:11]
09 Maps [6:16]
10 Games Again [4:44]
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Library Tapes
Certain people find comfort in sadness and I admit I’m one of those people, at least where my music tastes are concerned. However, there must be melody somewhere amidst the melancholy, otherwise it’s hard to derive satisfaction from it. Sweden’s David Wenngren’s has proved to be a master of this particular art, recording under his Library Tapes identity. Pleasingly, after 2007’s ‘Höstluft’ he’s produced another fine record of minimalist beauty.
The mood for ‘A Summer Beneath The Trees’ is bleak from the outset as the mournful strings of the opening track dominate. The fact that this track is named ‘The Sound Of Emptiness Part 1′ tells you all you need to know. Perhaps continuing the theme of train journeys from ‘Höstluft’, ‘Pieces Of Us Were Left On The Track’ offers little reprieve from the despair but its chilling melody is tastefully understated. Raising a smile slightly, ‘Above The Flood’ is cute and multi-layered; not unlike Icelandic group Múm in the way in which crosses between classical and folk music. Then from out of nowhere, ‘The Modest Triumph’ gladdens the heart with its stirring mix of guitars and stringed instruments whilst the glorious finale ‘…And Then Rain Did Fall’ ends events on a positive note.
It can be sometimes difficult writing about music which begins in such a sad and morose fashion as ‘A Summer Beneath The Trees’, yet when it’s presented in such a subtle and haunting style, it can be poignant and quite beautiful. Furthermore, there’s enough shades of light on offer to shift the balance.
Artist: Library Tapes
Album: A Summer Beneath The Trees
Genre: Classical / Ambient / Experimental
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/librarytapes
- Tracklist -
1.- The Sound Of Emptiness Part 1
2.- Pieces Of Us Were Left On The Tracks…
3.- Above The Flood
4.- A Summer Beneath The Trees
5.- The Fragile Tide
6.- The Modest Triumph
7.- The Sound Of Emptiness Part 2
8.- The Rivers Turned To Cobblestone
9.- … And The Rain Did Fall
Read MoreTry Album [Mediafire] | Library Tapes – A Summer Beneath The Trees