ARTIST:
Austin Crane


ALBUM:
A Place at the Table


KEY TRACKS:
Take it From a Ghost
The First Shall Be
My Timid Lamb






"I know that I am blind, but I would like to see"


David Gray has a twin, and he's currently residing in South Carolina.  What initially began as an honors thesis project, Austin Crane took academia to a whole new dimension by interpreting his literary analysis into music (see Valley Maker).  Now, after 3 years of playing together, Austin Crane and his band are definitely an established act.   Austin Crane's intense lyrics are drenched in emotion with a slight touch of spirituality, making for an interesting listen.

The album opens strong with heavy percussions and then seems to mellow more and more as it progresses.  Take it From a Ghost stands out the most for me in the mix because the lyrics are strange but interesting.  "Because I feel you in front of and behind of me"  Crane sings about an ominous presence haunting the spaces.  Lyrics like "I was watching you there, while you hung like a prayer" and "I know that you are wise and watching over me" make this track a true gem and Crane's profound voice only gives them more power.  

Austin Crane (second from the left)

Other up-beat tracks like "Tow the Line" make the album enjoyable but the album does seems to drag at points.  Moreover, Crane's voice, although interesting, can come across as abrasive at times and is likely to be an acquired taste for most.  Furthermore, at numerous points Crane's voice sounds so similar to David Gray's that it's almost distracting.


But just because this album wasn't particularly enjoyable for me, I'm still curious to hear more by Austin and his band.  I think his lyrics are particularly complex and am curious to hear what his future efforts will sound like.

LISTEN:  TAKE IT FROM A GHOST  |  THE FIRST SHALL BE  

NEXT WEEK:  BEN RECTOR  |  INTO THE MORNING

ARTIST:
The Incredible String Band


ALBUM:
Wee Tam and the Big Huge


KEY TRACKS:
The Yellow Snake
The Half Remarkable Question
The Iron Stone


"my cousin has great changes coming...wings"


I have been curious for a long time to hear the band that was supposedly "freakier and folkier than mother-fucking Devendra Banhart".  And it is, without a doubt, true!  This Scottish band practically paved the way for psychedelic rock bands with their jangling sitars and erratic drum beats.  Even freakier (and folkier) are the philosophical (and sometimes non-sensical) lyrics that accompany these outlandish melodies.  Did I mention that this group at one point lived communally in a farmhouse when writing music?  So of course, what resulted is quite interesting.   


Wee Tam represents these two very different parallels in songwriting as founders Robin Williamson and Mike Heron pen songs songs both deeply spiritual (The Mountain of God) and oddly eccentric (Ducks on a Pond).  While upon first listen, they don't sound too different from the folk scene today, especially with folk acts like Banhart and Joanna Newsom around.  But when you take to heart the time this band was making music, these compositions were leaps and bounds beyond average songwriting.  As a result, the Incredible String Band were considered the avant-garde along with -and possibly inspiring- The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.  


Wee Tam and the Big Huge represent some of the ISB's best artistry.  I'm a sucker for a good sitar so the use of this particular instrument throughout the album is great.  There are times when the music seems a bit repetitive, but all in all the tracks are so peppy and overtly happy that you don't seem to notice.  Williamson's and Heron's vocals are also a delight to listen to.  Oddly, they sound very similar to John Lennon and on certain tracks the sound is so similar that it's uncanny.


In this case, it was difficult to really listen to individual tracks within the album as a whole since it seemed so cohesive.  Bottom line, and much like the folk acts that have followed them, this particular group didn't make music because it would sound good to everyone.  It sounded good to them and that's all that mattered  Either you appreciate this music or you don't, and whether you do or not is the least of their troubles.  

LISTEN:  THE YELLOW SNAKE  |  THE IRON STONE  |  THE HALF REMARKABLE QUESTION

NEXT WEEK:  AUSTIN CRANE  |  A PLACE AT THE TABLE