My Top 100 Albums: #73 - The Microphones, ‘The Glow Pt. 2’

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73.

The Microphones, ‘The Glow Pt. 2’

K, 2001

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Hearing The Microphones for the first time is a transformative experience, whichever way you look at it. Pretty much as far as you can get from the rich, polished sounds of mainstream pop, this early project from enigmatic singer-songwriter Phil Elverum is - to fans - mind-opening, progressive, emotive and raw, and - to others - unsophisticated, harsh, reductive and incomplete. Influenced by ‘90s counter-culture staples from Twin Peaks to Björk, and determined to create something similarly challenging and expressive, The Glow Pt. 2 is the culmination of Elverum’s experimentation with form and production in his early career. The narrative of the album is told, essentially, through a series of tableaux, which address various themes both personal and impersonal, and are stylistically and musically diverse. Recorded largely on analogue tape, The Glow Pt. 2 has become a poster child for the lo-fi movement, particularly within indie rock, with its instrumentals frequently becoming blown-out or distorted as a result of the recording technique. This is one of the facets that gives this album such a unique sound, alongside its often drawn-out harmonies, its idiosyncratic performance techniques and Phil Elverum’s signature high-register, somewhat nasal vocal style. If this isn’t exactly selling the album to you, then it’s because the record is quite inexplicably greater than the sum of its parts. The songwriting is complex and ambitious, but delicate and captivating. The instrumentals are rough and awkward, but grandiose and hypnotising. The best songs on the tracklist are amongst some of the great classics of the genre; the opener I Want Wind to Blow signifies the album’s audacity with its sudden shift from a quiet, acoustic lullaby style to a startling blown-out bass drum loop and polyphonic electric guitars. It is rhythmic and driving, with its ever-present pedal underneath the harmony maintaining pulse and momentum. One of my favourite tracks on the record is The Mansion, with its prominent hastily-strummed guitars. It also features probably Elverum’s best vocal work, with an irresistible melody and creepy, comfortless lyrics. Arguably Elverum’s magnum opus is I Felt Your Shape, which, despite its short runtime of under two minutes, is particularly outstanding, and has endured more than any other track on the album. The track also demonstrates how compelling Elverum can be armed with just his voice and an acoustic guitar. These respites of simplicity are supported by long cycles of complexity and diversity, something which is most evident at the mid-point in the album. Track 8, Untitled, is eerie and foreboding, while the following track, (Something), is electronic and harsh. Then, I’ll Not Contain You is subtle and beautiful, before track 11, The Gleam Pt. 2, is electric and loud. The sheer scale of this album is outrageous, and the fact that Elverum is able to create something so beautiful whilst simultaneously experimenting with strange production methods and performance styles, is remarkable, and is why this album deserves the reverence it continues to attract within the indie rock community.

Hidden Highlight: The Mansion

1. I Want Wind to Blow

2. The Glow Pt. 2

3. The Moon

4. Headless Horseman

5. My Roots Are Strong and Deep

6. Instrumental

7. The Mansion

8. Untitled

9. (Something)

10. I’ll Not Contain You

11. The Gleam Pt. 2

12. Map

13. You’ll Be in the Air

14. I Want to be Cold

15. I Am Bored

16. I Felt My Size

17. Instrumental

18. I Felt Your Shape

19. Samurai Sword

20. My Warm Blood

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See the full list so far here:

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