(no subject)
this is my "journalistic review." holy crap this was only the first assignment i'm going to die. i want to update on many many things but no time for even sleep. gah...the review:
Erin McKeown: We Will Become Like Birds
Erin McKeown is helping me overcome my fear of liking artists who have names that cause a small amount of anxiety when I try to pronounce them in public. Can you say !!!? After hearing a live duet of “32 Flavors” with Ani DiFranco on Bonnaroo Radio, I was compelled to set my self-consciousness aside to make a nearly blind purchase.
At first listen though, the connection to DiFranco in a musical context is zapped from my memory, and the paint quickly dries on comparisons to Beth Orton. Particularly on tracks like “The Golden Dream” and “Air,” McKeown’s vocals nearly mirror the clarity that mixes with a delicate amount of breathiness characteristic of Orton. She could easily be likened to Mirah with “White City,” however, the vocal dynamics displayed throughout We Will Become Like Birds are not nearly as dramatic as the whisper-to-belting Mirah consistently performs.
Simple, poppy electric guitar, wurlitzer, and generally moderate to soft drumming match the beautiful, crisp sound of her voice. The album lapses into atmospheric moods frequently, and the yellow, blue and white color scheme of the cover art is quite fitting. McKeown’s lyrics are optimistic and her charm comes across in her enunciation of short phrases such as “philosophy on paper napkin.” We Will Become Like Birds is most appropriately a sunny day album for lighthearted listening, but still allows plenty of room for introspective times.
what the fuck i suck.