Before reading this review of Bowerbirds's new album The Clearing, released March 6 on Dead Oceans, it might be a good idea to watch the making-of video the band posted on their website. Not to be a patronizing ball of turds, but to this reviewer, this is the real-life realization of Fred Armisen's and Carrie Brownstein's http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuD1oDth6es ">Portlandia. Not that that truly is meant to slight the creators of this album; It's just a gentle ribbing.
That “making-of” also makes clear the sheer amount of energy, both physical and emotional, that went into the creation of The Clearing. Vocalist and accordianist Beth Powers almost died due to illness, and the relationship between herself and guitarist/vocalist Philip Moore dissolved and reformed.
The consequences these weighty events have on the impact of this album is that although the melange of folk-influences that also created Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues is also evidenced here, by no means is one truly derivative of the other. The alternating male-female vocals give the album as a whole a delicacy of form. It brings to mind echoes of folk-rock gods Fairport Convention. However, in this particular case, Bowerbirds have the potential advantage of not being tied in any way to the folk-isms that sometimes could be described as holding back the best work of Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson.
This advantage allows for their music to instead be purely borne out of emotion. The connection to the past feels more incidental than anything else. These are songs which combine neo-folk woodsy elements with indie-pop, as on “Brave World,” which sounds quite specifically like a collaboration between Bon Iver and Dr. Dog. The rolling pianos combine with the earthy vocals and organic percussion to create a new kind of music, one which does not betray pop forms while still managing to exude humanity and earthiness.
If The Clearing has any main strength, it is just that. Although this certainly isn't a world-shaking release, one certainly can't fault it for creating such dynamic and warm folk-pop gems as “In the Yard.” Plucked guitars and gentle background tones that sound vaguely of vibraphones on album opener “Tuck the Darkness In” give the impression of a fully developed and mostly self-contained musical world, one restricted to the lives of those who have constructed it. This world plainly contains elements from outside sources, but utilizes them in a pleasant, humanistic manner – as a consequence, in its own way The Clearing soars.
Track List:
1. Tuck the Darkness In
2. In the Yard
3. Walk the Furrows
4. Stitch the Hem
5. This Year
6. Brave World
7. Hush
8. Overcome With Light
9. Sweet Moment
10. Death Wish
11. Now We Hurry On
