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ANGELS OF LIGHT "The Angels of Light Sing 'Other People' "
AKRON/FAMILY "Akron/Family"()
Washington Post | by Mark Jenkinsshow previewIf the Michael Gira whose Swans were the most brutal of '80s New York noise bands could somehow meet the one who now records as the Angels of Light, would they even recognize each other? Well, the 2005 Gira still has that same baritone, although these days it's recorded to sound more natural. And today's model continues to sing about pain and death, albeit now in a style that owes more to bluegrass laments and British folk ballads -- as well as Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave -- than to his death-disco past. One of the strongest links is the two bands' sense of rhythm: The Angels don't slam the way Swans did, yet their music is not exactly fluid. "The Angels of Light Sing 'Other People' " opens with the almost-chirpy "Lena's Song," one of several tunes in which Siobhan Duffy's soprano sweetens Gira's gruff delivery. The singer is also accompanied by Akron/Family, a quartet that adds a touch of back-porch psychetronica, most notably on the frankly goofy "My Friend Thor." It's only a matter of time, however, before Gira introduces "Destroyer," whose "mouth is filled with flames," and "My Sister Said," in......
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Akron/Family | CD Review
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Hofstra Univiversity Chronicle | Jesse Cataldoa meditative discourse on fine songwritingAkron/Family is the kind of record that demands your attention, but not in the way you'd expect. It's so quiet, so unassuming, that you can quite possibly miss the entire thing if you're not listening. For fourteen songs it mumbles along, occasionally bursting into a quick frenzy of noise, before rushing back into its subdued state of quiet. The family, as it's easier to call them, has been lumped into two musical movements, the lo-fi and the freak-folk, both of which whom their association isn't totally fair. The latter comes from their affiliation with Young God, the label responsible for releasing this self-titled debut, which also stands as a bulwark in the burgeoning sub-genre. Unlike Devendra Banhart or Joanna Newsom, Akron/Family is not as self-effacingly weird as it is a meditative discourse on fine songwriting. It's not lo-fi either, even though the quality may be comparative in some cases, the instrumental range is far too broad and diverse. Akron/Family is easily capable of slipping far into the background if you're not giving it your full attention. This may be a commitment, but it's worth it in this case. From the......
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Akron/Family | review
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vanityproject.comtwist the arm of folk-music behind its own backp>Nicely laboured pluck, bitty bleeps and backfacing swashes, vocals cracking under the pressure of nervous energy. The harmonic ethics of TV On The Radio and the wide-eyed folketeering of fellow Gira-protégé Devendra Banhart. All this in opener ‘Before And Again’, sets us up nicely for Beach Boys harmonies elsewhere, the clink rattle of stoner-country shanty ‘Italy’ and the slender but passionate chant of ‘Franny/You’re Human’. These are apparently edited version of live epics and, admittedly, it does have the feel of a sampler, but there are sublime moments such as ‘Suchness’ where rusty water pipes are seemingly tapped in a itinerant attempt to explore pitch. Akron/Family twist the arm of folk-music behind its own back and bark in its ear to keep up with the times. Folk music complies....
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Akron/Family | review
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vanityproject.comtwist the arm of folk-music behind its own backp>Nicely laboured pluck, bitty bleeps and backfacing swashes, vocals cracking under the pressure of nervous energy. The harmonic ethics of TV On The Radio and the wide-eyed folketeering of fellow Gira-protégé Devendra Banhart. All this in opener ‘Before And Again’, sets us up nicely for Beach Boys harmonies elsewhere, the clink rattle of stoner-country shanty ‘Italy’ and the slender but passionate chant of ‘Franny/You’re Human’. These are apparently edited version of live epics and, admittedly, it does have the feel of a sampler, but there are sublime moments such as ‘Suchness’ where rusty water pipes are seemingly tapped in a itinerant attempt to explore pitch. Akron/Family twist the arm of folk-music behind its own back and bark in its ear to keep up with the times. Folk music complies....
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Akron/Family | review
()
vanityproject.comtwist the arm of folk-music behind its own backp>Nicely laboured pluck, bitty bleeps and backfacing swashes, vocals cracking under the pressure of nervous energy. The harmonic ethics of TV On The Radio and the wide-eyed folketeering of fellow Gira-protégé Devendra Banhart. All this in opener ‘Before And Again’, sets us up nicely for Beach Boys harmonies elsewhere, the clink rattle of stoner-country shanty ‘Italy’ and the slender but passionate chant of ‘Franny/You’re Human’. These are apparently edited version of live epics and, admittedly, it does have the feel of a sampler, but there are sublime moments such as ‘Suchness’ where rusty water pipes are seemingly tapped in a itinerant attempt to explore pitch. Akron/Family twist the arm of folk-music behind its own back and bark in its ear to keep up with the times. Folk music complies....