The Microphones
The Glow Pt. 2
Reviewed by Stephen Krock
At times discordant and downright disheveled, but always ingenious and interesting, this indie darling sees a new release on vinyl and digital download. The Microphones’ former front man, Phil Elverum (currently of Mount Eerie), is using his own P.W. Elverum and Sun label to give all the band’s albums the collector’s treatment. Of the series, The Glow Pt. 2 is undeniably the most celebrated.
This ambitious and sizable album runs the indie gamut from track one all the way to track twenty. Twenty! It manages to keep a satisfactorily disjointed heartbeat. Assaulting us with a clamor of lo-fi sound in the title track or in the adrenaline inducing “Samurai Sword,” then caressed by the softer “I’ll Not Contain You.” You’ll encounter several instances of just… well, noise. In the aptly named “(something)” and also in the predictably titled, “(something) II.” The thoroughly enjoyable “Map” employs a journey throughout all of The Microphones’ talents, emphasizing an impressive amount of production and also the rawness of Elverum’s emotionally strained voice.
Easy listening this is not, but it’s not difficult to see why The Glow Pt. 2 remains the band’s definitive work.
Rating: Badass
