Album review,
brothers and sisters of the eternal sun,
damien jurado,
ryan,
ryan wolf
—
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-
Concert Review,
damien jurado,
sharon van etten,
tom,
town ballroom
—
Making her first appearance in Buffalo, Sharon Van Etten gave a brilliant performance last night at Town Ballroom. Coming off her sensational LP released in February, Tramp, the Brooklyn songstress brought along a multi-talented 3-piece band, who were more than well-equipt to lend the range of instrumentals and sweeping vocal harmonies found on the musician's acclaimed record.
To start the night off, Damien Jurado mystified a seated Town Ballroom audience as he himself took to a wooden chair with acoustic guitar in hand (a way he says he plays best) and brought his astounding set of folk songs. One song ,"Ohio", from the 1999 record Reversals For Departure, stood out to me. It tells the story of a girl heading home to the Buckeye state to visit her mother who she hasn't seen in years. Jurado's vocals against his gentle and skilled guitar work were transcendent and without blemish as he cooed, "It's hard to see her leave / She belongs to her mother and the state of Ohio / I wish she belonged to me." It stands as one of the best solo acoustic sets I have ever seen, even without knowing much of the Seattle native's back catalog.
Next, Van Etten wasted no time coming out and went into favorites off her new record “All I Can” and “Warsaw”. Front and center, Van Etten swayed gently to the first few songs with her Jazzmaster sounding better than studio quality. Van Etten soon changed to an acoustic ax and moved onto to other tracks off Tramp with “Leonard” which she said she wrote while listening to a lot of Mr. Cohen’s work and “Give Out” both of which feature breathtaking vocal harmonies that capture Van Etten’s immense songwriting abilities.
Halfway through the show, Van Etten’s band left the stage and she played a requested track, “Consolation Prize”, solo. Van Etten has this enchanting way about her in the way she performs. She plays almost effortlessly in deep concentration and as a result every track radiates forth as she stands upright belting her tempestuous vocal arrangments which cut through a wall of intricate instrumentation. She checks on the crowd and her instrument intermittently, all the while bouncing a knee here and there. After her band came back on stage she shared a story about how she had written her first record when she moved back to her parents house in her native New Jersey. The anicdote led into the heartbreaking song “A Crime” off her 2010 effort Epic, which directly references the story in the lyrics: "Alone in this basement where I will write these songs / Of things I'll never say to you again and you know why." After sharing warm words about her first experience in Buffalo, she played her final song to a much deserved standing ovation, and then came out for a sensation encore playing “Ask” off Tramp.
Overall, it was a memorable night, and one of the best folk concerts I’ve ever seen. Sharon Van Etten and Damien Jurado brought a very strong performance that was sonically gorgeous as it was generous.
All Photos by Tom Dennis
damien jurado,
know your opener,
sharon van etten,
tom,
town ballroom
—
Backing his 10th studio LP, Maraqopa, Damien Jurado will be opening at tonight’s Sharon Van Etten concert, but for some he might as well be the main event. As a consistently great singer-songwriter, Jurado's 13 year career has its roots in indie’s fertile crescent of Seattle, where after garnering somewhat of a cult following, he was first brought to the attention of Sub Pop who subsequently released his debut record Waters Ave S in 1997. Shaped by influences such as Nick Drake, Randy Newman, and Bob Dylan, Jurado specializes in urban folk songs that are fostered from stories of experience, at times of a confessional nature. Stylistically, Jurado is a folk singer at heart, but his sound has numerous veins and capillaries that deviate into indie-pop and electronic landscapes as well, and in this way he has refused to be pinned down into one specific genre. In many ways this show will be the perfect indie folk-rock bill, so do yourself a favor and pick up a few tickets ($15) here.
The doors at Town Ballroom will open at 7 tonight.
