a r t i s t : John Vanderslice
t i t l e : Romanian Names
d a t e : 2009
l a b e l : Dead Oceans
g e n r e : Indie
r l s. d a t e : Apr/2009
t r a c k s : 12
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 51,9 MB
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The most noteworthy thing about John VandersliceÆs new album
is this: Romanian Names it's the best record heÆs made to
date. The 12 songs represent a career-defining moment, a
pitch-perfect collection written and recorded with the utmost
care and attention.
Vanderslice is certainly not the first artist to make such a
leap several albums into a career û think Guided by Voices on
Bee Thousand, SpoonÆs Kill the Moonlight or Of MontrealÆs
Sunlandic Twins. Vanderslice's newest, his first for Dead
Oceans, makes that step and separates itself from an already
top-notch body of work.
The process of writing Romanian Names differed from that of
prior Vanderslice albums. This time, he moved outside the
normal (and by now maybe too comfortable) confines of his
famed San Francisco recording studio, Tiny Telephone. He
constructed a simple basement studio in his home and wrote and
recorded the elemental demos for these songs alone with simply
a guitar or piano to accompany his voice. The emphasis was
placed on melody and structure, putting thoughts of
instrumentation and studio wizardry on hold until there was a
complete and stable foundation to build upon. The songs were
given time to breathe, to be re-worked and reorganized, and
sometimes enough time to be thrown out entirely. Benefiting
from this organic and evolutionary process, Romanian Names
coheres beautifully.
The album is subtle and lush, with a lyrical approach less
concerned with narrative and cohesion than previous JV
records, leading to a new tone that feels self-assured,
natural, and unafraid. The results come in the way of killer
sing-along choruses, memorable and punchy hooks, and knock-out
atmospherics.
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01-Tremble and Tear [02:45]
02-Fetal Horses [03:57]
03-C & O Canal [03:16]
04-Too Much Time [03:29]
05-D.I.A.L.O. [03:11]
06-Forest Knolls [03:54]
07-Oblivion [02:05]
08-Sunken Union Boat [02:48]
09-Romanian Names [01:39]
10-Carina Constellation [03:40]
11-Summer Stock [02:53]
12-Hard Times [03:47]
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37:24 min