Various Artists - Self Storage (Album)
Self Storage is a new recording label to come from New York, USA, where else? Well, sexy city itself clearly has something to say for the orchestration of new talent on the indie/experimental scene, so what better way to ‘say’ that then to create a label and a couple of compilations of mostly unheard of musicians.
Providing more diversity than one usually finds on said compilations I wasn’t sure whether I should be settling in for a long massage, Sunday Night by Le Ren, Filka by Autorotation, Drawn To The Sea by Luxa and Suddenly Something Good by Winterlight. Or whether I should be in a small indie music venue stomping out to Air Phase by Monocle, Like Flowers At Night by Panda Riot and Ghost Train by Thrushes. Or in a trance like state reflecting on life and times to Reborn by Project Skyward,Pale Fire by Dead Leaf Echo and Nowhere by Elika. So it may not be the kind of album you listen to straight through on any particular occasion, nonetheless dividing it up gives room for sharing the appropriate genres with appropriate music lovers.
Though the name Thrushes isn’t the most attractive for a band name, I think, perhaps with a name change, this band has a lot to offer the music industry. With an eerie melodic beginning to their track, you really get the rising feeling that you are on a Ghost Train. Enter percussion and steady rhythms to caution the heart into crescendo, interject casual vocals and then the slow return to reality after feeling like you have experienced the darkest of ghostly encounters. Thrushes have managed to create the much sort after ‘musical journey’ from intelligent composition.
Look To The Sky and allow Ulrich Schnauss to accompany you with a soothing and creative musical paint pallet of rhythmic melody. If airlines played this song to passengers prior to take off, I’m sure it could cure any debilitating fears of flying. Well ok that is probably a little excessive, however this song really creates such a relaxing mood, it could convince at least a hesitant flyer to fly, or anyone take on that challenge.
Stepping the pace up a bit to an electro beat The Invisible Kid provides a hearty dance number in Where’d You Go. Though the lyrics are mostly hard to distinguish, you can still tell there is a story of a man who has ‘lost’ a woman, and now wonders what she is doing. Coupling the name of the band and the name of the song, becomes almost cute in its convenient syntax.
I recommend this album in the above mentioned different scenes and a couple of times over and then you’ll be hooked.
