The Head and the Heart - Let's Be Still
Release Date: 15 October
Label: Sub Pop Records
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
Label: Sub Pop Records
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
They were the band that swiftly rose from obscure hipster campus roots to open on tours for Vampire Weekend, Death Cab, Dave Matthews and The Decemberists, among many others. Headlining shows soon followed and the band that once burned copies of their own debut, complete with handmade covers for the hundred or so copies, soon found themselves being lauded as the new Arcade Fire. Of course having a song featured in the season finale of 'Chuck' didn't hurt their mainstream transition.
So they're back with a second album. And what can you really say about a folk-y six piece?
The admirable thing with them, besides rising so graciously from humble beginnings, is their dedication to their art. Sure they're having a gas, but do yourself a favour and watch them perform live. Here watch this. I'll wait......
Sincere eh? They have real heart man. They're not just riding some freak wave they accidentally got on. Their success and rise may have been a lot of coincedence and good chance, but their talent and love for music is palpable and genuine. Makes them endearing. And you hear a lot of it on this album. Where their debut was similar in many ways, it ended up being borderline bland and repetitive. On 'Let's Be Still' they effectively manage to consolidate all of their unwieldy parts, bringing something slick but not polished out of it all. And there are those moments where the warmth of Josiah's vocals just wash over you like a soothing balm. On 'Cruel' a 3 in 4 ballad he dips low for something full of heart and honesty, joined eventually by the even warmer vocals of Jonathan Russell. Truly beautiful. Even with violins. It all comes together so expertly on this album. Sounds like they're in their 50s and have been doing this forever. And yet it is all SO fresh at the same time.
The title track uses the same formula, this time on a 4 in 4 beat, making it slightly more uptempo and sounding for all intents and purposes like a Bob Dylan track, without the rusted vocals. Charity knows just when to contribute her lazy, pretty vocals.
The whole package is tight without being restrictive. It is more intentional than their debut, but retains that free-spirited vibe of a band wandering through some Nordic looking forest, strumming on their instruments. It's a pretty picture. And just when you think you have them pegged and are getting bored with their neo-folkness, they pull a piano driven tune out the bag to refresh and surprise you. They even go slightly Sgt Pepper on '10,000 Weight In Gold'. This album serves to prove that they are so much more than just a trendy hipster band. That head can help give you direction, but ultimately without heart and a lot of it you wouldn't get anywhere. A truly fine second album.
WVS
So they're back with a second album. And what can you really say about a folk-y six piece?
The admirable thing with them, besides rising so graciously from humble beginnings, is their dedication to their art. Sure they're having a gas, but do yourself a favour and watch them perform live. Here watch this. I'll wait......
Sincere eh? They have real heart man. They're not just riding some freak wave they accidentally got on. Their success and rise may have been a lot of coincedence and good chance, but their talent and love for music is palpable and genuine. Makes them endearing. And you hear a lot of it on this album. Where their debut was similar in many ways, it ended up being borderline bland and repetitive. On 'Let's Be Still' they effectively manage to consolidate all of their unwieldy parts, bringing something slick but not polished out of it all. And there are those moments where the warmth of Josiah's vocals just wash over you like a soothing balm. On 'Cruel' a 3 in 4 ballad he dips low for something full of heart and honesty, joined eventually by the even warmer vocals of Jonathan Russell. Truly beautiful. Even with violins. It all comes together so expertly on this album. Sounds like they're in their 50s and have been doing this forever. And yet it is all SO fresh at the same time.
The title track uses the same formula, this time on a 4 in 4 beat, making it slightly more uptempo and sounding for all intents and purposes like a Bob Dylan track, without the rusted vocals. Charity knows just when to contribute her lazy, pretty vocals.
The whole package is tight without being restrictive. It is more intentional than their debut, but retains that free-spirited vibe of a band wandering through some Nordic looking forest, strumming on their instruments. It's a pretty picture. And just when you think you have them pegged and are getting bored with their neo-folkness, they pull a piano driven tune out the bag to refresh and surprise you. They even go slightly Sgt Pepper on '10,000 Weight In Gold'. This album serves to prove that they are so much more than just a trendy hipster band. That head can help give you direction, but ultimately without heart and a lot of it you wouldn't get anywhere. A truly fine second album.
WVS
 |
| Halfway through their performance, they all simultaneously started regretting the curry from lunch. |
Comments
Post a Comment