Winning for the cause?

Agnes Obel.

OK, so that's a shit title, I know it. Anyway, the point is that while I was rather lukewarm on I Got You On Tape's album Spinning For The Cause last week, I've got to admit it's growing on me. I am a sucker for expressive baritones, and Jacob Bellens' is one of the better I've heard. It's still hard for me to single out tunes except obviously the title track, which is the reason I bought the record in the first place. If I had to point out one, it'd perhaps be the closer 'Wedding Song', which is one of the more aggressive tunes.


But if Spinning For The Cause is conquering ground, Caribou's Swim has already set up camp and is starting to build fortresses! It just so bloody impactful, it's teeming with interesting timbres and beats - I'm crazy about it in its entirety!


Right now, I'm listening to Agnes Obel's Philharmonics, which sounds a little better, but still way too much of it screams elevator music to me. It's sort of sedative, but not the way Bon Iver is sedative or Kings of Convenience are sedative. The harmonics are way to trivial and normal to really curl you around their fingertips. It seems to be the sort of album you put on when you've got a friend over you haven't seen for a long time, so you've got lots to talk about, so you don't really want the music interrupting you. Nothing wrong with that though, but I could easily mention the first five-six albums I'd rather put on in a situation like that. 


I guess I just fundamentally have trouble relating emotionally and lyrically to female vocalists (and for quite music, that's quite important to be able to do, for me at least). I guess it's because they don't sound like me, which is stupid, but it might have some sort of psychosomatic truth to it, in lieu of the baritone reference farther up this post. Philharmonics isn't strong enough to make you whimper, it's not intimate enough to lead to sex, and it's not ingenious enough to forcedly steal your attention. It is beautiful and there are interesting tracks like 'Beast' and 'Avenue' and the opening few two-three songs, but I can't help thinking that Treefight For Sunlight (whom I've been listening to a lot the past week by the way) were snubbed for the P3 talent prize a few weeks ago.


Iron & Wine is one of my many unconquered territories of folk, and he's releasing a new album soon, called Kiss Each Other Clean. I heard the better part of it the other day right here, and it sounds pretty interesting. Definitely worth another few listens anyhow! He's playing in Århus in a few weeks, but I reckon I'll skip it. I'm broke as, and my job situation is a quasi mess, and today I left almost a thou at the dentist for repairing my plastic tooth...