The Glow, Pt. 2

Today's Music That Jason Is (almost) Over the Moon About is The Glow, Pt. 2 by The Microphones. I have to credit Pandora for introducing me to a few of the tracks from this album, and also to eMusic for actually having it.

(An aside: eMusic, you have a pretty good catalog, but we're only going to be friends until you get some Yoko Kanno and/or Seatbelts.)

I don't really know much about the history of this album. I don't know when it was made, where the musicians came from, or what they are doing now. What I do know is this: the album is a little too long but very good. It's not exactly a pop album, or a symphonic album, but the kind of album that has fairly diverse instrumentation and doesn't overuse anything.

Sometimes I wish there were fewer songs on this album, or that the overall sound had a little more dynamic range, but as a whole, the mood and musicianship dwarf the minor faults I had with Glow Pt. 2. It's a reserved work, something that probably wouldn't suit other activities so well, but that is very rewarding for a dedicated listener. I suppose this album is like a person at a party who doesn't command a great deal of attention, but who has the best stories if you are willing to listen.

Often, I like to compare the sound of albums or bands to others that I would consider their peers. For this album, though, I had a hard time coming up with much. The instrumentation might make me think of Beirut, but the sound isn't really there. The only thing that really seems fitting is Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. This is heady praise, and probably a bit undeserved; I don't think Glow is quite the juggernaut that Aeroplane, one of the finest albums recorded in my lifetime, is, but it's certainly worth a listen. The fact that I thought Glow even warranted comparison should say something.

In short: Take this album on a drive by yourself, and never look back.

In Other News:
I worry too much about things.

"Sleep is like a kitty. It's that simple. Sometimes you just have to be comfortable and warm, and it will come to you, sometimes it will pounce on you when you least want it, and other times it will fight you and run from you, if you can find it at all." -Me, yesterday-ish.