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Album Review
Admittedly,
I've done a pretty rotten job of keeping up with LN's music. Case in point:
"Novel" came out last year and I'm just now getting around to it. Needless
to say, there are many others who are far more knowledgeable than I when it
comes to this band (if you have any doubt, just check out
the VBM forum on the Vagrant Cafe). Having said
that, it certainly feels like LN's Gary Murray has really pushed himself
musically on "Novel", exploring a wider range of styles and sounds than he
has on the few recordings I'm familiar with.
Most people probably associate LN with lush,
atmospheric pop - I know I do - and Murray delivers plenty of that on
"Novel". "Cars Must Burn" and "Stars Did Shine" are real gems, with Murray's
half-whispered/half-sung vocals slowly surfacing from layers of reverbed
guitars, brushed drums, and watery synthesizers. "Stars Did Shine" is
particularly gorgeous; Murray's voice is as effortless as possible, lazily
drifting amongst acoustic guitars and graceful slidework. The song has a
breezy, autumnal feel to it, reminiscent of the band's work on the aptly
titled
"Cool September Skies".
Meanwhile, "Christmas Tiger" and "And The Angels" explore a more
acoustic-based sound, one laced with country-western twang. For these songs,
Murray opts to sound more world-weary than dreamy, and also pens some
grittier lyrics ("This motel room smells of sex and the angels/That danced
on your tongue the minute you took the pills" - "And The Angels"). Some
similarities exist with Jon DeRosa's Pale Horse And Rider project (another
example of an artist better known for his atmospheric work exploring a more
acoustic, country-fied sound), but thankfully, there's none of the dry,
tongue-in-cheek humor that hampers DeRosa's balladry.
On the other end of the spectrum, Murray also delves deeply into the ambient
side of his music with "Forgotten Ships" and "Ghosts In The Train Yard".
"Forgotten Ships" is one of "Novel"'s most beautiful moments, as Murray's
barely-there vocals and sad, sparse guitar float amidst a swirl of sweeping
drones, bird songs, and other ephemeral sounds. On headphones, the effect
becomes even more hypnotic and surreal, as if you're taking a leisurely
stroll through a forest where wind chimes hang from every tree. A gentle
breeze kicks up, and your surroundings suddenly become a kaleidoscope of
lights, shadows, and sounds as leaves and chimes alike rustle in the wind.
"Ghosts In The Train Yard" closes out "Novel" with 17 minutes of quivering,
disoriented tones and swirling ambience akin to "Forgotten Ships". The
track's first 2/3 can be a bit frustrating to listen to. The tones try to
coalesce, but something always seems out of place, preventing the sounds
from ever really coming together. However, the final third is sheer sonic
bliss. Here, washes of static and noise gently flutter around the listener
while vast, melancholy drones rouse themselves and move, sadly and slowly,
through the song's depths.
Although I've already described much of the album, I would be remiss if I
didn't mention one other track, that being LN's rendition of "Softly And
Tenderly". It's the most stripped down song on the album, consisting of
little more than Murray and Steph Halpert's (Au
Revoir Borealis) vocals, a fragile guitar, and the
warm crackling of vinyl, but LN's subdued approach creates a reverent and
humble atmosphere befitting the hymn's themes of grace and forgiveness.
Likewise, the weariness in the vocals lends additional poignancy to the
hymn's words. Lines such as "Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling/Calling,
O sinner, come home" or "Though we have sinned, He has mercy and
pardon/Pardon for you and for me" have an almost devotional quality to them,
as if the duo is singing to themselves as much as the listener, if not more
so.
When I reviewed "Cool September Skies" several years ago, I commented that
while I enjoyed LN's music, "everything I've heard on ["Cool September
Skies"] is stuff I've heard done before and done better". Having listened to
"Novel" and noticed its continual growth on me, I should probably renege
those sentiments, at least in part. While those who enjoy the music of
groups such as
Low,
Bedhead, and Red House Painters will certainly
hear many familiar strains in LN's music, they rarely sound as good, and in
the case of "Softly And Tenderly", as heartfelt as they do on "Novel".
~
Jason Morehead
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