The vocals on this album feel like a warm blanket. I’m writing this review as I listen, and it’s gonna be a long review, because the release has nine tracks on it. I highly recommend listening to this album with headphones, it’s mixed really well.
Arthur’s vocal intonation is somewhat reminiscent of jazz legend Barry White – it’s very powerful and used carefully. It pairs nicely with the guitar effects present in parts of Never Thought Twice. The lyrics come as an afterthought to the experience delivered in this song.
Choose Your Door brings some interesting instrumentation to the table, what sounds like maracas or a shaker. The distinction is distracted quickly by a wide vocal soundstage and a groovy guitar that can’t help but excite the senses. I’m pretty sure it’s a tambourine, but Arthur has already ascended to a form of scatting that helps break the rhythm of the track and bring it to lightheartedness.
May You Sit Down Like A Tree brings a classic guitar and some more of Arthur’s vocal richness. I tried to focus on the lyrics of this song, but it was too late: the artist had already started scatting again. It was a bit difficult to discern the lyrics in this song, except for the title lyric. But that doesn’t matter, because I get a feeling that the lyrics are not the focus of this song, as they are in so many pop songs. This ain’t pop: it’s self-described psych folk, with a wandering finger style and “wah” guitar. And plenty of atmospheric layering and echoes.
The reverb/echo on Echo Canyon is very pronounced, as you might have guessed. The spacious head-feel is punctuated by light guitar strikes. I’m thinking this might be my favourite track yet. But so far vocals have not made an appearance. Perhaps this track serves as an intermission, as well as a show of technical mastery. There’s not much else to say about this track, so just sit back and listen to it (links to the music at the end of the review).
If I Go is all about the vocals. It describes the unknown nature of the narrator’s journey, and his joining with a companion for an adventure into the sun, or perhaps into the night. Arthur hits some remarkable high notes, absolutely a testament to his vocal range. Later in the track the guitar becomes more technical, which is a bonus.
The last four tracks are named “One, Two, Three, Four”.
One starts off with some humming reminiscent of Animal Collective. The stereo mix is quite nice with guitars in the right ear and vocals taking left stage.
Two features a heavily affected (effected?) guitar that sounds almost like an electric piano. It could be an electric piano… But I doubt it. Again, the stereo mix is excellent, and I highly recommend listening to this work with headphones. This is the third instrumental track on the album, and it definitely feels more relaxed than the other tracks. There is some noise towards the end, I’m not sure if it’s intentional or an artefact from the recording process.
The instrumental Three features a more ethereal guitar effect, but this time it could easily pass for a synthesiser. But we have not heard a synth on this album before so I doubt it. I can just imagine Arthur mixing all this music down, recording layer over layer, and bringing much aural pleasure to listeners.
Four is a somewhat sad song, apropos because the album has come to an end.
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