Buy this album. You will thank us. Any fan of the cultish Elephant 6 label and so-called “headphone albums” will rejoice upon Phil Elvrum’s latest sonic masterpiece.
The Glow Pt. 2 succeeds where Elvrum’s other albums under the Microphones moniker have failed. Its spontaneity coupled with lush stereo arrangements made with less-than-plush equipment marks not only an achievement for Elvrum, but a bold statement from the supposedly “lo-fi” indie scene as well.
The Microphones should define this scene if it doesn’t already, although due to the group’s immensely-layered work, categorizing Elvrum as “lo-fi” is about as accurate as categorizing the Promise Ring as “emo.”
The Microphones hails from Anacortes, Wash., home of the fabled Dub Narcotic studios, which Elvrum calls home. The group is signed to K Records, which in the past boasted such indie stalwarts as Death Cab For Cutie. And if any artist or album could put K on the map, it is Phil Elvrum and The Glow Pt. 2.
The Glow Pt. 2 begins with three tracks that run together almost cinematically as a story unfolds by way of coupled acoustic guitars and sudden, jolting changes. This pattern continues throughout the album, becoming the only expected element.
Elvrum uses simple language but bold statements in his lyrics, describing self-discovery in a light that Alanis Morisette and other supposedly self-indulgent artists never could. This is due to Elvrum’s genuine lyrical delivery and deeply personal lines that are not only self- but also nature-referential.
The music and lyrics feel as if they are emanating from within the listener. This seems Elvrum’s intent — for his albums to be self-dialogues that others can own as well.
On the title track, Elvrum goes deep: “I faced death. I went in with my arms swinging / But I heard my own breath and had to face that I’m still living / I’m still flesh. I hold on to awful feelings. / I’m not dead, my chest still draws breath. I hold it. I’m buoyant. There’s no end.”
The Glow Pt. 2 is a journey to the center of one’s self through Elvrum’s analog. That’s right — he uses analog recordings of any instrument in any shape or tuning he can get his hands on. If left wondering what it is you are hearing between songs, it definitely isn’t silence or even plain static. It is, on an artistic level, one of the most intriguing aspects of the album, a tugboat that runs throughout the entire 66 minutes of the album.
The Glow Pt. 2 has all the qualities of a good old jazz record. Sometimes older equipment just sounds better. Just as a 35mm camera produces much warmer pictures than any digital camera could ever hope for. It crackles. The sound isn’t perfect. It’s unpredictable. And it’s the most deeply emotional yet completely unpretentious record of last year.
The album leaves its heart on its sleeve, exhibiting woe-is-me stylings of bands like Dashboard Confessional and comes across much better, but not more easily. This is a record one must take time with. Find a warm spot, warm lighting, a good pair of headphones and let this record unfold before your ears — and do this a number of times to fully appreciate its majesty.
Another extremely appealing aspect of the record is its respect for down time. Elvrum realizes that space isn’t a bad thing at all, especially on a record that states this much.
Thematically, one could not make a more coherent record. Pinkerton is recalled somewhat, but without the complete despair. Lyrically, Elvrum tells a story of a dying relationship, self-discovery, and ends with a song so affecting but inconclusive, one wonders if the whole process was in vain.
‘My Warm Blood’ describes, through Elvrum’s melancholy tone and classical guitar, his loss of feeling but retaining of the qualities that give him life, namely his blood. Though he doesn’t realize it, the insects around him do, placing him back into the natural cycle of which he attempted to reconcile himself in the first place.
We don’t necessarily need more artists like Elvrum’s Microphones. Being flooded with sentiment is just as bad as no sentiment at all. But we desperately need Elvrum’s self-discovery to help facilitate others’ personal self-discovery.
This album is the mark that others should shoot for. The Glow Pt. 2 is the musical equivalent of novels like “On the Road” or “Catcher in the Rye.” One should just hope that in the canon of this musical post-post-modern world, it would be recalled as such.