Damien Jurado, once known chiefly for his intimate storytelling and somewhat morose (but always beautiful) indie-folk, has been wandering into wider plains as of late. Venturing through the spacey and metaphysical, Jurado has now produced a sequel of sorts to 2012's Maraqopa. A structurally progressive, enviromentally entrancing, and spiritually-minded record, Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son is a passionate and playful display of Jurado's stunning songwriting capabilities.
Album opener "Magic Number" sounds something like a James Bond theme performed by a high school marching band on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Its follow-up, "Silver Timothy," continues the tone, delving deeper into the psychedelic sci-fi textures that define Jurado's "Return to Maraqopa." From there, the musician continues to build an ever stranger sonic world that culminates in the stomping fever dream of "Silver Donna."
This, however, is not the final destination of the artist's journey. "Silver Katherine" and "Silver Joy" ("silver" seemingly BASOTES' precious metal of choice), step away from the ethereal and return to the grounded style Jurado has long espoused: earnest lyrics sung to simple arrangements. The album is then rounded out by "Suns in Our Mind," a bright compromise between BASOTES' two stylistic pulls.
Remarkably, running at less than 35 minutes, the record feels as expansive and overflowing as a double LP. Matching aural ambition with humble devotional poetry, Jurado has created a magical music vision and what might be the first essential record of 2014.
Grade: A-
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