The Unsung Colony

About

As indicated by the whirring sound of an old film projector that opens and closes the album, <i>Unsung Colony</i> is designed to be a conceptual, cohesive work bound by a common sonic atmosphere, and for the most part it succeeds nicely. It sounds simultaneously dusty and distant on the one hand, and warm and lush (and lovingly produced) on the other, as if the band is trying to capture the turn of both the twentieth and twenty-first centuries on the same album. Some songs are hushed and intimate (“How to Reel In,” “Drifter”), while others feature howling guitar effects and swirls of sounds and textures (“The Longest Stare,” “The New Rise of Labor,” “Banish All Rock”), but they all (even the instrumental “Atget Waltz”) serve as fuzzy snapshots of characters searching for something — fortune, a home, or peace of mind. The songs are cleverly arranged and make use of a wide variety of instruments: accordion, marimba, horns, violin, piano, banjo, guitar, and drums. Once a personal creative outlet for Adam Selzer (who also plays guitar and bass with M. Ward), Norfolk & Western has evolved into a large (7-10 members) collective of talented musicians who have grown into a tight unit as a result of regular touring. Fans of Sparklehorse, Iron & Wine, the Decembrists, or bands of that ilk will want to check this one out.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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