You know I really do love a good background story for any album and lucky me, I got a juicy story on my hands this week. The artist is Black Kaweah, the album is Formations, and the mood is complicated. Mike Springer is the mastermind behind this wild shape shifting album packed with shoegaze, dream pop, dark ambiance and alt rock. Here's the thing about Springer, he has spent most of his life in what little is left of America's untouched wilderness. He works as a ranger and so his dedication and love of nature is pretty clear. I warn you now, do not box this man into a sunshine and rainbows corner, you'll feel mighty foolish as soon as you dig into the album.
For the most part, this is very low key album, not a whole lot of high flying action. However, he throws big punches and makes a big impact. I have listened to A LOT of albums with nature as the backdrop and NONE of them have ever sounded like this. There is darkness, brooding, anxiety, primitive urges. You're not just staring at the vast beauty for an afternoon; you're experiencing all angles of it. His instrumental choices are fully ranged from hyper organic to hyper electronic. You'll get some folksy guitar and then some downright awesome samples from some other dimension. Somehow he has formed a lush green bridge between genres. My favorite is when he chooses to get a little jazzy. I can also tell from his indie rock tunes that he and I may very well have some parallels in our playlists. I firmly believe his passion for music is as deep as his love for nature. The lyrics are mighty pointy in this album which is an interesting twist on such a mellow musical background. I'm into it. Singer is bold in that he has no problem expressing his views - from his frustrations with the lack of urgency for the environment to his big picture view of life. A view that I feel may have formed for watching the raw and unforgiving flow of nature for a good portion of his life. I would say the album is equal parts political and personal. Let's be honest though, at least for me, I find it pretty irritating that the environment should be such a political issue. Springer was the master architect on this album from start to finish. He stands as yet another example of how today's tech can be so empowering for the solo artist. One thing that stuck out to me is that Springer is incredibly thoughtful with negative space. Silence and isolated sounds is an art form in itself in music, and one that often goes unappreciated. I'm willing to bet that someone who spends so much time in the wilderness is someone who can appreciate and properly utilize what REAL quiet is. The mixing is spectacular, definitely not one of those "one size fits all" philosophies applied here. In a word, this album is thoughtful, and will certainly provoke thoughts. Highly recommended.
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