Lights Under My Tent

The first album by Anathallo, 2006's "Floating World," received mixed reviews. While I read a large number of positive things about it, Pitchfork slammed it for being something in the range of "a cheap Sufjan Stevens imitation." I was on the fence about it myself, liking it enough to just barely recommend it, yet seeing the merit in the Sufjan imitation claims and worrying it'd paint the band into some sort of corner. So it's with a certain sense of apprehension that I decided to give the band's second album, "Canopy Glow," a try in order to find out what's been learned since we last heard from them.

Maybe it was the slamming Pitchfork review that got them down in the dumps, because Anathallo are markedly more downbeat on "Canopy Glow" than they were on their energetic debut "Floating World." Yes, the songs are not nearly as energetic nor fun, but even if you're having a pity party that's no reason to say bad things about this band or the record, for it could still reek with the essence of genius. Considering that Anathallo have so many members and they work together in the "collective" sense like a Broken Social Scene or Polyphonic Spree (but not quite as large as either group), you'd expect a similarly and intricately layered sound to permeate across their records. You can mainly hear it in the voices, as main vocalists Matt Joynt and Erica Froman toss back and forth to one another, intertwine for harmonies, and move back again- all the while having what sounds like a general mixture of other band members singing along in a choral-type fashion. And of course there's the wide range of instruments present, ranging from piano to xylophone to horns to glockenspiels to bells to violins to guitars and autoharp. Many of these elements interact with one another on the same song. It all contributes back towards that same Sufjan Stevens-esque sound they were peddling on their first album. As we've been without any new Sufjan material for a couple years now, hearing an album that takes that similar "marching band" approach does feel like spending time with an old friend you haven't seen in awhile. Basically it's easy to fall in some sort of love with "Canopy Glow" if these sorts of grandiose kitchen sink sounds at all appeal to you.

But I'm not fully committed to "Canopy Glow," though I wish I was. The songs are ridiculously well constructed, and there's nothing that really rings cheap or tacky about this record. It's just...I feel like Anathallo could be doing so much more. That is to say I think they've got enough talent and charisma among themselves to come up with an approach that's equally as engaging but more original than what they're currently producing. Let's say they're playing things too safe, because that's probably the most accurate way of describing it. This may be a decidedly less commercial and less memorable album than their debut, which is one way of suggesting they're not entirely out for commercial success and might instead want to focus on originality. Personally I'm inclined to like their quieter, more tempered approach on display here compared to the more upbeat pop-driven one from "Floating World." But the real problem I'm finding across "Canopy Glow" is that in the multiple times I've listened to it from front to back, there are is nothing about it that jumps out at me and distinguishes itself. I can't tell you what some of the best tracks are on this album because honestly I can't remember any of them specifically. The entire listening experience has been fascinating and enjoyable from start to finish, but the lack of a highlight or two kind of scares me.

Mostly I come away from "Canopy Glow" happy that Anathallo have scaled themselves back a little bit. With more tempered and skillful arrangements, along with lyrical content/song titles that make more sense/sound less pretentious, this is a slightly easier and more accessible band than the one from two years ago. Yet the songs themselves are darker and more plodding, which almost turns this into a toss-up. But I still like it to the point of recommending it, even if it's not quite the best thing I've heard in 2008. Anathallo is a band I hope are destined for great things in the near future. With a little push and some more creative thinking on their part, they could eventually outdo the great Mr. Sufjan Stevens with whom they're so often compared. That is to say, if Sufjan doesn't beat them to the punch with his as-yet-unannounced next album.

Anathallo- The River
Anathallo- Bells (left click)

Buy "Canopy Glow" from Anticon Records

Labels: anathallo, sufjan stevens