I was extremely hesitant when picking this album. It is clearly something that exists more comfortably in the depths of winter, but I’m willing to take the risk. Lost Wisdom is the second LP by Phil Elverum under the Mount Eerie moniker. Formerly referring to his work as The Microphones, the switch was made in 2003. It truly was a new beginning, as this was the time Phil changed the spelling of his last name from Elvrum to Elverum.
Normally a singular voice in his work, in both vocals and instrumentation, this time Phil has companions. Vocalist Julie Doiron and guitarist Fred Squire play a role on every track. This grouping was created by a stroke of luck. The aforementioned duo had a break in touring and payed Phil a visit, which found the three of them in a recording studio together. After brief hesitation, they quickly set to work.
While he certainly uses electric sounds and distortion in his work, Phil mostly has an ambling and meandering acoustic style. Fred Squire punctuates this by providing a backdrop of somber electric guitar. It is unobtrusive, but provides a tone not normally found in an Elverum production.
Phil has a certain amount of uncertainty in his vocal delivery. He is asking questions that don’t always have an answer ; pondering his existence and looking for things that can’t be found. Julie Doiron provides a more succinct voicing that plays off his existential musings.
The intimacy of the tracks is opened up and allows the listener to more comfortably enter Phil’s world.
An album by the Microphones or Mount Eerie is akin to dropping into an existence with Phil. Wether that be a respite by a fire, a cold moonlit night, or being lost in the woods, his music draws you into an experience. This time we have companions on the journey. They create a bridge so we can comfortably sit between our world and his. Phil is not going anywhere, but this time we have someone to hold our hand as we peer through the looking glass.
A couple questions you can expound on, or not. It’s a free country.
- Is this your first experience with an Elverum production?
A ) If yes, did you enjoy it?
B) If no, how do you think it differentiates from his other work?
2. It is an extremely sparse album. Do you think like that adds to the feel, or do you want more?
3. Did you enjoy the vocal harmony? Do you feel like they played off each other well?
As someone who has never listened to any of Phil's work before, I wasn't sure what to expect from this album but it was a really great listen. Each track had soothing/calming vocals and were coupled with some chilling lyrics that really stood out because of the stripped down acoustic nature of the album. I really enjoyed the way Phil's soft spoken (a bit more timid in nature) vocals complimented Julie's more assertive way of singing. I think the harmonies worked out great for the pair because of their distinct vocals.
ReplyDeleteFred's guitar playing reminded me a bit of Ben Howard's. A little folky but still complex in nature while still able to embody the minimalist feel of the album. The album is very sparse, but I think this works on in Phil's favor because the lyrics seem heavy, so having a sonically simple album allows for the listener to engage with the lyrics more. I would be interested in seeing if he has any work that go beyond this acoustic sound, so I'll definitely be checking his discography out.
Standout tracks: With My Hands Out, Voice in Headphones, O My Heart, What? (i love love love the guitar in this track)
I made a similar reply to Sam, but he definitely has a varied sound in his discography. He likes to experiment a lot, but it's fair to say that the acoustic style is his home base. Clear Moon is an album with an acoustic underbelly, but is far more musically dense overall.
DeleteI'll be sure to check Clear Moon out, glad to hear he experiments a bit. Thanks!
DeleteHmmm...this album is a tricky one for me. It's got a lot of beautiful little songwriting bits. I like it well enough, but to be honest it doesn't do a whole lot for me. There are moments when the trio really are all providing a lot towards the song (see Voice in Headphones) that are well done. There are also songs, like Who?, that are simply well written. But on the whole, it just doesn't strike any kind of chord with me. It's hard for me to put into words.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting because I very recently got into Julie Doiron (I think she was on my Spotify Weekly playlist) and have been thoroughly enjoying her album "I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day". I know Phil Elverum is seen as a genius, at least in the indie world, but to me her vocals and harmonies outshine his work on the album.
I am struggling to really say how I feel about this album. Thanks, TyTy, for picking such a tough one...
To answer your questions:
1. Yes, it's my first experience. I enjoyed it, but am not sure it's something I'll come back to.
2. I want more. I feel like there are moments when they start to build towards something a bit louder and more raucous. I want some of that - but it doesn't need to be every song. Even just one or two would be nice, seeing as how those parts were my favorite.
3. The harmony is pretty solid - they both have interesting voices, especially Elverum. I think they sound naturally pretty good together which is always a big plus.
I think if you're looking for something louder from Phil, you might like the albums Wind's Poem and Ocean Roar, as well as some parts of The Glow Pt.2. He likes to experiment with an almost black metal style of instrumentation that becomes apparent in those works.
DeleteWill do, thanks buddy
DeleteThanks for picking this one, Tyler. I hadn't listened to much of any Elverum since the winter and it was, as always, nice to enter his universe again. Lost Wisdom is not an album I had given many deliberate listens to before, but the second I pressed play on the first listen (on the plane on the way to Boston) it made me super happy. Phil's music puts me in a unique mindset of being simultaneously relaxed and very reflective and introspective. I feel like I could be a philosopher or something while I listen to him. I also love listening to his stuff while napping outside. I know that's random but it's the best.
ReplyDeleteAs for Lost Wisdom specifically, it's not my favorite Elverum album. Going in I really thought I would like it more than I did, but it just fell a little flat compared to my favorite of his work, like No Flashlight and The Glow Pt. 2. For some reason I didn't like the addition of the electric guitar very much. I guess I wanted it to sounds even more hollow. All the songs themselves were fine but when put together they didn't do much for me as a whole, even after 6 or 7 listens. I do like the pairing of Julie and Phil's voices a lot though. Every time they sang the line "lets get out of the romance" I got sad it wasn't the whole song. My favorite song was "If We Knew...".
I mostly listened to this album right after waking up in the mornings my first week of school so maybe it will have some sort of nostalgic value to me in the future, who knows. I'm definitely going to work more meticulously through Phil's discography now.