10-song compact disc
$10.00
A concept record based upon the poems of writer A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh), Karl Blau’s AM could be the soundtrack to a sepia-tone sweep of sublime countryside. Steeped in the sounds of the wild, these ten tracks, partly inspired by a collaboration with the Microphones’ Phil Elverum, map a mysterious landscape that oscillates between serenity and anxiety. From the rough atmospherics and murmuring hand-drums of “Morning Prayer” to the triumphant, understated “Lake King’s Daughter”, AM reveals a highly developed sense of composition that pits fragile melodies against harsh guitars and sputtering percussion with remarkable subtlety. Elverum occasionally contributes a haunted tenor voice and shares songwriting credit on the droning “Noah Richards Son”, but it’s Blau’s weary croon, shoegaze-y guitar and intriguing songwriting that makes his musical Hundred Acre Wood so strangely inviting.
When I reviewed Karl Blau's Dance Positive record last year, I really had no idea who the singer was and to be fair, not much has changed. I only listened to the CD with the photocopied cover because he's from Anacortes and we had just got back from a road trip there.
But, make no mistake, Blau is an incredible talent. He's just one that dwells in the corners and shadows, refusing to force his way into the spotlight. I mean, he's had three positive reviews from Pitchfork, worked with Phil Elvrum and tours with Laura Veirs, and yet he still toils away in relative obscurity mailing out creative recordings on a DIY label.
Blau's lo-fi work crackles like one of those intimate conversation in a quiet corner or on a fire escape, just out of earshot of the rest of the party. It's one of those talks that is heavy in emotion and leaves you refreshed and inspired, but somehow completely drained as well. The next morning you try to remember what you said in your drunken haze, but instead you keep coming back to the clear, concise thoughts coming from the other side of the discussion.
The thing is, despite the spontaneous feel of the record, you can tell Blau really thought out each and every action. From the subject matter - the record is based on the writing of A.A. Milne - to the seemingly lose guitar and drum sounds, Blau's arrangements are intricate and calculated. The way he combines so many styles and genres but manages to combine them in a way that is completely his own is not something that just happens. Spring Morning is a perfect example - the melodica, the bass line and straight ahead vocals really expose a rough and ready reggae inspired track, but it's the snare sound that really makes the song. On the surface, you might think the song just kind of fell into place, but I can see Blau analyzing every detail, every combination of sounds.
Lake King's Daughter finds a more fluid groove by meshing charming guitar notes with some almost off tempo synths, creating a warm glow around his understated vocals. Bird Song settles into an effortless sincerity with the twinkling notes that dance off in the distance and harmonies, which is fantastic because the drum, horns and Hayden-ish vocals would be more than enough to make the song work. The constant shifts and wrinkles let your mind run wild as the record floats by. It grabs your attention and at the same time lets your thoughts drift to cherished memories. It's incredibly familiar, but at the same time something completely new. Not many records could mix grunge and tribal rhythms, but AM does just that.
The re-release of AM should find Blau finding a bigger home - it's on a label and his ramshackle percussion and instrumental flourishes are much more accepted by music lovers now - but I can't imagine it will change the music he writes. I mean, he remastered and resequenced this and it's still retains that great lo-fi feel. Blau has the talent to dive into bigger, bolder compositions, I just don' t think he wants to and it's that dedication and love to his sound is something I respect more and more with each listen.
“Morning Prayer” lyrics:
Give me work to do. Give me health. Give me joy in simple things. Give me an eye for beauty, a tongue for truth, a heart that loves, a mind that reasons, a sympathy that understands. Give me neither malice nor envy, but a true kindness and a noble common sense... at the close of each day, give me a book and a friend with whom I can be silent.
Karl Blau
AM
Tracklisting:
1. Morning Prayer
3. Yellow Sunbonnet
5. Bird Song
6. Noah Richards’ Sun
7. Of Birds
8. Stream (mp3)
9. Growing Up
10. In the Morning