Even way out on the underground fringe, rock idolatry comes with built-in benefits. When ex-Swans protagonist Michael Gira commenced work on his latest Angels of Light release, he simply reached out, scooped up Young God Records labelmates Akron/Family and enlisted the outre-hip folk-rock quartet to back him in the studio.
The album notes credit the Akron boys with contributing “basic tracks”—further embellishments come courtesy of other Gira associates, including R.E.M. touring drummer Bill Rieflin, ex-Swans cohort Christopher Hahn and Antony and the Johnsons cellist Julia Kent—but really, there’s nothing remotely “basic” about the 12 tracks constituting We Are Him. Once famous for piling up dark noise workouts with Swans, Gira has spent the past decade casting that tenebrous outlook into more harmonious crannies, and his newest project marks the summit of that more subdued but no less stimulating approach.
From prog-pilfering opener “Black River Song” through dusky psych-folk odysseys “The Man We Left Behind” and “Not Here/Not Now” to the pleasant pop of “Sunflower’s Here to Stay” and the near-country stomp of “Good Bye Mary Lou,” We Are Him always feels serious, yet never comes close to collapsing under that weight. It unfolds dramatically with repeat spins, which are best suited for late-night hours, headphones and time for dedicated sessions with one of 2007’s most satisfying listening experiences.
Angels of Light
We Are Him
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