The Great Depression Offers a Warm Polish
Ten-track wonder-trip takes you away.
The Great Depression
Forever Altered
Released on Sep 15, 2009
Led
by composer Todd Casper out of Madison Wisconsin, the Great
Depression's title track "Forever Altered" gleefully exclaims that
"nothin' will be the same." A host of instrumentalists and vocalists
responds with the kind of polish and timbre you could hope for from
this effort. On the band's third effort, Forever Altered, we
are greeted with lush instrumentals and sweet, honeyed vocals. Through
and through the songs deliver wide audio landscapes for you to explore;
melodic nooks and crannies abound.
I must commend the third
track, "Holes In all Your Stories," for what it attempts and with time,
succeeds at. The opening guitar riff had me a little reserved, seeming
a little too airy and reminiscent of the band with a similar namesake.
However upon dropping the beat with a dissonant and lonely-sounding
bass line, I was sold. A light and enjoyable tune with a good solid
ending was proffered and all was well. However, I found the next cut,
"It Happens During Transit," to be a little jarring in comparison. The
opening was, at least: we are greeted with a sharp chorus of whistles which
might be a little jarring in comparison. What this melodic device
achieves, is to clear your aural pallet for what's to come in the body
of this piece. Truly the Great Depression know what they're doing with
their songs.
The album as a whole manages to pick you up
swiftly, in the first third of the album, and then lay you down lower
and lower. Living up to their namesake, the deep wells of sound on the
eighth track "Gauzy Systems" leave you feeling very mired in a plodding
melodic progression. However, they've been slowing you down and making
you feel the weight of the emotions within the song through "Ill
Prepared" & "Throw Me the Ropes." So it's no surprise that by the
end of the album, while the opener may have had you smiling wide,
you're feeling lower than a tadpole's belly by the last half. I'd throw
around the cliche "emotional roller-coaster" but that would imply a lot
of ups and downs. Whereas if we're comparing albums to carnival rides
this would be one of those giant drop rides where you're lifted swiftly
and then let go at least three times. Through sweeping keyboard licks
and grand brass stabs the Great Depression does an excellent job of
building a pit in your stomach. Overall this is one of the more
interesting and deep albums of late, with thick layers of sound and
lyrics that refrain from browbeating any meaning. While the method of
composition provides a rich aural experience it may leave a gloss-coat
of high-polish studio sound.
High Point
Expertly manipulates your emotions through well written and well composed sound-scapes.
Low Point
Sometimes, a little too polished, giving the sound a high-gloss effect; may be off-putting for fans of lo-fi.
Posted by Ben Kessell on Sep 17, 2009 @ 6:30 am
