Matthew Kelly has earned his stripes. Fronting the pioneering, yet often forgotten Autumns, the band has danced with perfection in the past (most notably, 1997’s The Angel Pool), but this record is more than a perfect dance. This self-titled record is the stars aligning, the union of pure beauty and bitter dissonance. This record not only defines The Autumns as a band, it defines music as an art. I find it interesting when a band releases a self-titled album in the middle of their career. To me, it symbolizes what a band essentially is. “We are ________________, and this is our record!” It’s almost a definitive statement. Having said that, I don’t know if a better self-titled album exists.

Let’s start with “The End”, a heart gripping lead-off that is both spiritual and highly emotional, casting Matt Kelly ‘the vocalist’ in a light you’ve never heard him in before. The music is new-wave shoegaze with an overtly fairy-tale like bent, and the fairy-tale, dreamlike sequences carry through every song, most of which blend together without silence to separate tracks. The 2 most orchestrated instrumentals (“Flies in the Eyes of the Queen” and “The Moon Softly Weeps a Lullaby”) demonstrate a wide grasp of arrangement, child-like melodies, ambient droning and classical composition. If The Autumns were to be an instrumental band, nothing would be lost. But the cohesiveness of this record is astounding. String arrangements weave into songs meshed with acoustic guitars and layered vocal tricks. I am literally left numb upon repeated listens.

There are few albums that have paid as much attention to detail as The Autumns (few that come to mind are OK Computer, The Soft Bulletin, and Michigan). “Hush, Plain Girls” is perhaps my favorite song because of the intricate focus on the vocal melody (which continues to build until it reaches a giant climax) and guitar parts that ‘noodle’ behind it, until multiple guitar tracks become unleashed. “Every Sunday Sky” ties the influence of U2 to the songwriting of The Autumns, but the track is a worthy ode to such a band. “Slumberdoll” is the first single, and might be the most classic Autumns moment in the loud/soft sense, but compared to the other songs on the record, it’s more of a teaser than a single. The explosiveness of “Cattleya” is undeniable, with the vocals continuing to scale until the massive drumroll and wall-of-sound ending. And as beautiful as the album opened, “Heartsick on the Open Sea” dreamily swoons you adrift the end, with a very 60’s-esque croon to match reverb drenched, high school dance riffs.

Kelly has taken his band to new heights. The vocals compete with anything Bono, Chris Martin or Jeff Buckley has ever done. The music is the most realized of any guitar band. Simply put – you can’t find a better record than The Autumns. And the album art is lovely.

~ Garrett Johnson

The new, 3 years in the making, full length from underrated dream pop-sters, The Autumns, ups the ante in their quest to create beautiful and memorable music.

It took the Autumns so long to finish and put this record out that I almost forgot they were making it. Then one day after dusting off my copy of 1997’s The Angel Pool I wondered, “Hey, whatever happened to The Autumns? Weren’t they supposed to be working on a new record? Like, forever ago?” So I did what anybody with curiosity and a computer does these days. I consulted the all knowing internet.

Not only had the band finished their album, after what seemed like an eternity, but they had actually released it and had it sitting pretty on record store shelves for at least a month before my curious mind discovered its existence.

So after all the hype and anticipation and speculation, does the album deliver and what might it sound like? Answers: Yes. It sounds like gorgeous. Fuzzed out bursts of layered guitar, dreamy falsetto vocals, piano, vibraphone, 50’s pop influenced “ooh”s and “ahh”s. Add to this the fact that The Autumns know how to bake their cake as well as covering it with icing and fancy decorations. That is to say that the songs are well written and not just a pile of sounds and effects thrown together to fit within in a certain genre.

Not that one could accuse The Autumns of trying to fit within a certain genre or sub category. Unless you want to call beautiful and uplifting music a genre. And although upon the first few listens the album may sound like one long song with different movements, the individual tracks are definitely worthy compositions within themselves. Adding to the confusion of not being able to distinguish separate tracks immediately would be the curiously titled lead off track “The End” flowing right into song number two, “Hush, Plain Girls”, with the ironically truthful sung line “It’s not the end.”

The Autumns aren’t breaking ground here but they are definitely securing their place as underground music/dreamy pop’s best kept secret. Imagine if you will the voice and musical stylings of Jeff Buckley fronting a more pop music-minded My Bloody Valentine. As cliché as that might sound, The Autumns achieve the best possible outcome of such a marriage.

For you, the reader of this review, I suggest picking up this album and letting tracks 1 through 3 invigorate you; track 10, “The Moon Softly Weeps a Lullaby,” lull you into a gentle trance; and the epic “Wonderfully Wonderful” fill you with warm-fuzzy goodness. For me the reviewer, I’ll be saving a spot in my top ten of the year for this album.

~ Brett Miotti