Greylag

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:36:26
Audio Mixer: Phil Ek. Recording information: Avast Recording Co., Seattle, WA. The nine-track Dead Oceans Records debut from Portland, Oregon's Greylag suggests that the trio must have endured a rigorous classic rock education during their formative years, which along with Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, included a whole lotta Led Zeppelin III. Steeped in the bucolic, harmony-laden vistas of Fleet Foxes, yet bound to earth by a deep love for the heartland, Greylag's country, blues, and Americana leanings ultimately win out over any predilection for indie folk over-sharing, despite the fact that their origins lie in the perpetually overcast, Elliott Smith-haunted Pacific Northwest. That said, there is a punchy, Hammer of the Gods-inspired retro-rock feel to cuts like "Another," "Kicking," and "Mama," the latter of which wouldn't have sounded out of place on Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Howl, but those "Immigrant Song" moments are outnumbered by more "Gallows Pole" and "Tangerine"-inspired confections like "Arms Unknown" and "Black Sky," both of which incorporate elements of bluegrass and Appalachian folk into the mix, and then fortify them with enough spooky, Zep-minded mysticism to make them seem weightier than they really are. Producer Phil Ek, who has helped like-minded bands such as the Shins and Band of Horses expand their sound, does a nice job here with what is essentially an acoustic guitar, drum, and vocal foundation, layering in ghostly mandolins, backing vocals, and cavernous electric leads that swoop in from above and fill in some of the hard-panned spaces like some kind of celestial mortar, resulting in a sound that's both divine and earthy, yet carrying songs that are largely ephemeral. ~ James Christopher Monger