James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
So how does his new album compare to his previous, lauded effort, For Emma Forever Ago? The latter was a sparse album full of fragile acoustic beauty. In all honesty another album with eleven similar tunes could have been cranked out and the press would have lapped it all up. But the songs are louder, more orchestrated and produced, with the slightly experimental air of the Blood Bank EP. Obviously Vernon is trying for something bigger than his previous album.
‘Perth’ opens the album, Vernon’s trademark quavering falsetto voice contrasted with insistent instrumentation and a mighty percussion section. “I’m tearing up across your face” sings Vernon, “Move dust through the light to find your name”. If the songs are louder, the introverted lyrics, which sometimes verge on the cryptic are still the same. They still, retain however, their quiet beauty; in ’Holocene’ the lines: ”And at once I knew I was not magnificent, strayed above the Highway aisle, jagged, vacant, thick with ice, I could see for miles, miles miles’ are some of the best lines he’s ever written.
As for other songs on the album ‘Calgary’ is the standout, with its quirky synth only adding to Vernon’s voice; it’s the first single and will no doubt be a song of the summer. ‘Towers’ has a memorable chorus and seems to be a take on the Rapunzel myth, though I’m unsure here; at points the lyrics are near impenetrable. ‘Michicant’ is the rest within the album, a beautifully orchestrated number that is most similar to the previous album, and stands apart from Vernon’s larger efforts.
Bon Iver barely put a foot wrong in the album. If you are unsure about this album, give the songs a listen and see if you like the voice; it can be a bit of a Marmite affair. Otherwise, this song is a resurgent effort from one of the more interesting voices in the alternative music scene and long may he continue to make inroads into the collective public’s consciousness.
If you like this try: Patrick Wolf, Fleet Foxes
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