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It is not often but when musical genius meets up with the right person at the right time who is ready for it, it can work miracles in a persons life. Anathallo is a group of seven talented musicians that creates mini musical miracles every time they pick up their instruments to play, and every time you listen.
In the summer before my 16th birthday and Junior year of high school I was just starting to leave my teen angst tainted punk phase and move on to greener musical pastures with the help of my brother Preston and other enlightened friends. I went up to Phoenix to see a Format concert with my brother. The show was at the Celebrity Theatre which was a round dome like venue with the stage in the middle that rotated. We got there early so we could get decent seats. A little while after we got there a band started to set up. There were a lot of people on stage and they kept loading on more and more instruments. We watched in wonder and vocally queried about how a band could use that many instruments, or need that many instruments, or that much crew. Then with the seven people who we thought were mostly crew on stage the lights when out and Anathallo began their set. I don't recall what song they began with or what song they ended with but I can still tell you exactly how it felt to hear them play. The music was so unique and beautiful and interesting not just to hear but to see. In the middle of songs they would move on to new instruments or switch with another band members even suddenly fall on the floor and then consequently get back up again and keep playing. It was an amazing experience. Since then with the help of Preston we have acquired all their albums and EP's and I listen to them often. I find myself now when I judge music or concerts I tend to compare them to the experience I had that hot July day in Arizona. This last summer I got the chance to see Anathallo again with my brother on another hot summer night. It was a smaller place and it was again moving and wonderful. At that show they played a lot of stuff from their new album Canopy Glow. I have now has the opportunity to listen to Canopy Glow in its entirety!
Let me just say that Canopy Glow is a necessity for anyone's music collection. I fell in love with Italo, The River, and All the First Pages instantly! All the First Pages is an incredibly moving song with its constantly changing tempo's and rhythms and deep lyrics, I find myself swallowed up in the blue and green whenever I listen to it, whatever that may mean. The first thing I noticed about this album compared to the first album Floating World was the mellow song titles. You may not think that Noni's Field, Italo, and John J. Audubon are nomal song titles but compared with Hanasakajiijii, Gennessarette and Dokkoise House they are as normal as can be. This album also seems to be a bit more easy on the ears. The interesting backup vocals are still there in a number of different ways the squealing is kept to a minimum which of course is a positive and negative thing for me, I am a sucker for a bit of squealing The album seems to work very well as a whole. Each singular song is great but only when you put them together do you see the true beauty. I am not qualified to say that it is musically wonderful, although it does seem to be rather musically stellar with the vast array of instruments having their say in all the right places. I also think the vocals are excellent they really took advantage I can however tell you that the music on this album has changed me, it may just be a little bit, but I am a different person for having heard it and i change a little more every time I listen. Experience your own mini musical miracle and listen to this album and Anathallo!
Track List:
01) Noni's Field
02) Italo
03) Northern Lights
04) The River
05) Cafetorium
06) Sleeping Torpor
07) All the First Pages
08) John J. Audubon
09) Bells
10) Tower of Babel
By: Zelbie
This album doesn't hit stores until November 18th: Preorder it Here
In the summer before my 16th birthday and Junior year of high school I was just starting to leave my teen angst tainted punk phase and move on to greener musical pastures with the help of my brother Preston and other enlightened friends. I went up to Phoenix to see a Format concert with my brother. The show was at the Celebrity Theatre which was a round dome like venue with the stage in the middle that rotated. We got there early so we could get decent seats. A little while after we got there a band started to set up. There were a lot of people on stage and they kept loading on more and more instruments. We watched in wonder and vocally queried about how a band could use that many instruments, or need that many instruments, or that much crew. Then with the seven people who we thought were mostly crew on stage the lights when out and Anathallo began their set. I don't recall what song they began with or what song they ended with but I can still tell you exactly how it felt to hear them play. The music was so unique and beautiful and interesting not just to hear but to see. In the middle of songs they would move on to new instruments or switch with another band members even suddenly fall on the floor and then consequently get back up again and keep playing. It was an amazing experience. Since then with the help of Preston we have acquired all their albums and EP's and I listen to them often. I find myself now when I judge music or concerts I tend to compare them to the experience I had that hot July day in Arizona. This last summer I got the chance to see Anathallo again with my brother on another hot summer night. It was a smaller place and it was again moving and wonderful. At that show they played a lot of stuff from their new album Canopy Glow. I have now has the opportunity to listen to Canopy Glow in its entirety!
Let me just say that Canopy Glow is a necessity for anyone's music collection. I fell in love with Italo, The River, and All the First Pages instantly! All the First Pages is an incredibly moving song with its constantly changing tempo's and rhythms and deep lyrics, I find myself swallowed up in the blue and green whenever I listen to it, whatever that may mean. The first thing I noticed about this album compared to the first album Floating World was the mellow song titles. You may not think that Noni's Field, Italo, and John J. Audubon are nomal song titles but compared with Hanasakajiijii, Gennessarette and Dokkoise House they are as normal as can be. This album also seems to be a bit more easy on the ears. The interesting backup vocals are still there in a number of different ways the squealing is kept to a minimum which of course is a positive and negative thing for me, I am a sucker for a bit of squealing The album seems to work very well as a whole. Each singular song is great but only when you put them together do you see the true beauty. I am not qualified to say that it is musically wonderful, although it does seem to be rather musically stellar with the vast array of instruments having their say in all the right places. I also think the vocals are excellent they really took advantage I can however tell you that the music on this album has changed me, it may just be a little bit, but I am a different person for having heard it and i change a little more every time I listen. Experience your own mini musical miracle and listen to this album and Anathallo!
Track List:
01) Noni's Field
02) Italo
03) Northern Lights
04) The River
05) Cafetorium
06) Sleeping Torpor
07) All the First Pages
08) John J. Audubon
09) Bells
10) Tower of Babel
By: Zelbie
This album doesn't hit stores until November 18th: Preorder it Here
1 comment:
Anathallo's second album left nothing to be desired. They are definitely the best band in their genre, and I can't wait to see them live in Chicago in two weeks.
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