Derek™ Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 http://westernvinyl.com/shop/wv150 Quote When Rob Lowe and Michael Muller founded Balmorhea in 2006, their goals and expectations were modest, as they created music to share with friends and family, and slowly developed a following in their hometown of Austin and beyond. They couldn't have anticipated that their music would take them on multiple tours of the US and Europe, and even to Asia. Nor did they expect the praise their work would receive from such well-respected publications as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic among myriad others, and that their work would become quietly ubiquitous, doing the emotional heavy-lifting for national TV commercials, films, radio and cable programs, and countless documentaries. Lowe and Muller had developed a wordless language with a seemingly limitless potential to stir the listener's soul. Over the course of 5 full-length albums and a 7” EP, the duo pushed their work to its outer bounds, concluding the first chapter of their career with their maximalist, genre-leaping full-length Stranger (2012). Now five years later they return with their most fully realized album to-date, Clear Language. Almost a decade on the road, near-constant musical output, and shifting creative priorities caused Lowe and Muller, to soberly assess the band’s future. What, in the form of Balmorhea, was there left to say? And did they have the energy to say it? To answer that question the duo decamped to their east Austin studio, where they worked simply and with restraint, letting intuition guide them as they molded 30-plus raw ideas into the 10 elegant, spacious gestures that comprise Clear Language. Co-produced and engineered by David Boyle in Austin’s Church House Studios, Clear Language finds the duo returning to the simplicity of their roots. They eschewed complexity for complexity’s sake, allowing a watery, sand-hued mood to settle over their use of analog synthesizers, piano, vibraphone, electric and bass guitar, violin, viola, field recordings, and, for the first time in the band’s history, trumpet, performed by Tedeschi Trucks' Ephraim Owens. A relaxed, clear-eyed sense of reflection flows gracefully through the album as these two old friends transmit unfettered meaning through simple sonic gestures that resonate with the cosmos as much as they echo the pulse of a human heart. In a culture dominated by the loudest, ostentatious voices, Lowe and Muller continue to prove the power and importance of restraint and minimalism. This fall, in cities across the U.S. and Europe, Balmorhea will bring Clear Language to life with a full band of multi-instrumentalists, and the ensemble will be enshrouded in a light/video projection that’s being developed to mirror the emotional tone of Clear Language. Audiences can also expect to hear classic works from All is Wild, All is Silent, Stranger, Constellations — the spareness of which invites comparisons to Clear Language — and more from Balmorhea’s dense catalog, dating back to 2006. New track: https://balmorheamusic.com THE_James_Champ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EquinoxDesignLab Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Excellent! Boo to the white vinyl, but this fall is seriously stacked with releases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toomanyrecords Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 got that white because it's god damn balmorhea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nihac Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 (edited) Haha, $ 42 total to Europe. Totally Ridiculous. Edited July 6, 2017 by nihac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted July 6, 2017 Author Share Posted July 6, 2017 I echo what's been said. I'm in for all things fancy or deluxe with Balmorhea, but I feel like there was a huge opportunity missed for clear vinyl on this one. Not only does the album (supposedly) evoke more minimalism, but it's also right there in the title. Would've been a perfect choice but oh well. drds89 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toomanyrecords Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 I'll take this moment to lament amongst fellow B- fans. Finally acquired a copy of Rivers Arms for a reasonable price on Discogs, rated VG+. I got it and there's a fair amount of surface noise and pops, which is absolutely unacceptable for an album like that. I haven't given it a wet clean yet but I'm hoping that will help it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drds89 Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 I haven't had problems sound-wise with white vinyl. Few areas of life I providence has been kind to me. Yeah, it's Balmorhea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbhendrix Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Just pre ordered the while vinyl as well. Can't wait for this release! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burkazoid Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Love these guys, so I'll likely pick this up. Just holding out for a cheaper option for buying in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek™ Posted July 23, 2017 Author Share Posted July 23, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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