Last year, Calvin Heights released Worst Calligraphy, one of their most ambitious albums to date. The album is paired with The Possession of the Deer's Feet: Prologue, an EP that was released earlier in 2017 which marked a definite shift in the band's sound. The indie rock influence that characterized the first two records was left behind for something more experimental. By this point in the band's career, frontman Brett Carey acted as the sole creative force. He wrote and produced almost everything with the help of his longtime friend Jordan Wipf to cover drumming duties. Worst Calligraphy started out as an EP but grew as Carey started pouring out his thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It was slightly unkempt and lived in a much more abstract world, but that was the charm of the album. The ambiguous nature of the album kept the listener on their toes while they worked through it.
Calvin Heights released a single in December that was a little different than the album they put out a few months before. These songs were more structured than Worst Calligraphy. “When You Think Of Me” and “Seasons Change” didn’t follow pop format per se, but the songs had defined edges and a more tangible shape.
Talented Sun feels a lot like a grown-up version of Worst Calligraphy. This fits with the subject matter of the album, as it’s all about transitioning into the next stage of life. The album's opening track, “Man of Your Dreams,” sets the stage for the album. If Talented Sun was a movie, the first track would establish the world the protagonist encounters in their journey. The plodding rhythm in this song constantly propels the listener forward. There is this feeling that you need to keep up or be left behind.
Talented Sun is a concept record which is important for the listener to keep in mind. The record itself is broken up into three acts that serve as different phases in the characters life. During an interview with Ear Coffee, the band was careful not to discuss what they intended the record to mean because Carey and Wipf want to leave it up to you, the listener. However, it is easy as the listener to infer that Talented Sun is about change and growing up. Sometimes it's front and center, like in "Seasons Change," which says right in the title what it is about, but sometimes it is a little more abstract.
One thing that sticks out, both in this track and in the rest of the album, is how dryly Carey's voice is produced. The lyrics are soberingly present and take their spot as the focus in most of the songs. The storytelling found in the older material released by the band shines through again. Calvin Heights isn't just creating a mood with each song they are adding another piece to the overarching story of the album.
Something that Talented Sun does miss is the rawness the band has shown before. Calvin Heights takes a more musical approach to the noise they create. The track "Cacophony" is an eight-minute epic that builds from a small piano riff into a thunderous roar. Most tracks on the album are more restrained compared to previous works. The restraint implored by the band is not a complete detractor because it does not feel like Calvin Heights is playing it safe. The band is choosing to hold a little bit back in order to add an extra dynamic to the record's overall sound.
Talented Sun is one of the best records Calvin Heights has released since their debut in 2014. I would highly recommend giving this record a spin because it is one of their most well-rounded albums. If you are a new listener to the band, I'd suggest that you listen to their discography in reverse. Start with Talented Sun then listen to Worst Calligraphy, The Possession of the Deer's Feet: Prologue, and so on.
You can find Talented Sun on iTunes and Spotify. You can also listen to the interview Ear Coffee did with Calvin Heights where they discussed the new album below.
Talented Sun is a concept record which is important for the listener to keep in mind. The record itself is broken up into three acts that serve as different phases in the characters life. During an interview with Ear Coffee, the band was careful not to discuss what they intended the record to mean because Carey and Wipf want to leave it up to you, the listener. However, it is easy as the listener to infer that Talented Sun is about change and growing up. Sometimes it's front and center, like in "Seasons Change," which says right in the title what it is about, but sometimes it is a little more abstract.
One thing that sticks out, both in this track and in the rest of the album, is how dryly Carey's voice is produced. The lyrics are soberingly present and take their spot as the focus in most of the songs. The storytelling found in the older material released by the band shines through again. Calvin Heights isn't just creating a mood with each song they are adding another piece to the overarching story of the album.
Something that Talented Sun does miss is the rawness the band has shown before. Calvin Heights takes a more musical approach to the noise they create. The track "Cacophony" is an eight-minute epic that builds from a small piano riff into a thunderous roar. Most tracks on the album are more restrained compared to previous works. The restraint implored by the band is not a complete detractor because it does not feel like Calvin Heights is playing it safe. The band is choosing to hold a little bit back in order to add an extra dynamic to the record's overall sound.
Talented Sun is one of the best records Calvin Heights has released since their debut in 2014. I would highly recommend giving this record a spin because it is one of their most well-rounded albums. If you are a new listener to the band, I'd suggest that you listen to their discography in reverse. Start with Talented Sun then listen to Worst Calligraphy, The Possession of the Deer's Feet: Prologue, and so on.
You can find Talented Sun on iTunes and Spotify. You can also listen to the interview Ear Coffee did with Calvin Heights where they discussed the new album below.
Comments
Post a Comment