$12.00
 | Upper Air is Bowerbirds' second full length album, released on the Dead Oceans imprint in July 2009. This CD comes in a trifold cardboard case, and is carefully packaged and mailed to you.
On Upper Air. Bowerbirds reveal more than they did on their first album, writing
from a personal voice, exploring love and human emotions in ways that
have never been fully fleshed-out in their songwriting before. They
have not abandoned their worldview from Hymns, but the lyrics are no
longer just observational. These are songs written from a personal
place, examining the contradictions inherent to a conscious life, and
this emotional depth makes for an undeniably powerful collection of
songs.
Upper Air is the product of months spent away from
nature and away from home, touring endlessly with the likes of Bon
Iver, Phosphorescent and John Vanderslice and on their own, on both
sides of the Atlantic. The fodder for songwriting has changed, and so
have the songs. Upper Air moves away from the singular sound and
sentiment; each and every song on Upper Air is a journal entry that
stands on its own, each a unique, beautiful piece. The arrangements are
subtle: acoustic guitars, organ, piano, autoharp, violin, percussion,
upright bass and more are used throughout the recording. Usually
though, it is just a few of these instruments delicately supporting
Moore's voice, the anchor of every song. Everyone struggles when they
try to describe this music, including us, but we'll try: it has the
spirit of Richard and Linda Thompson, the currency of Devendra Banhart,
the addictively sweet melodicism of Iron & Wine, but it churns with
an underlying energy closer to a Beirut or something farther out, more
raw, more wild.
The most notable part is this: The songs don't
hide behind the instrumentation, the deontological conviction, or,
frankly, anything; and that is what makes Upper Air undeniable, simple,
and breathtaking.
SONG LIST:
House of Diamonds
Teeth
Silver Clouds
Beneath Your Tree
Ghost Life
Northern Lights
Chimes
Bright Future
Crooked Lust
This Day |
