RIYL: Badly Drawn Boy, Menomena, Bon Iver
Intuit lives up to its name in many ways. The debut by Ramona Falls, a solo project of Menomena’s Brent Knopf, is a masterful work that needs to be absorbed indirectly, because while a first listen quickly demonstrates its Alternative/Indie Rock pedigree, it escapes any easy comparisons and is tricky to grasp. That isn’t to say it is inaccessible. Far from it. The first three tracks are powerful songs that are intensely hooky. “I Say Fever” is especially rocking, with a classic soft-hard juxtaposition of stanza and refrain. Yet they are all completely different and keep the listener guessing. Such cognitive dissonance can often backfire, causing a loss of cohesion and thus disinterest, but on Intuit it works like a charm. When the stark and insistent drum line of “I Say Fever” fades, the muted piano beat of “Clover” picks up and spins you into a more a wistful bent. “If I’m dreaming you, and you’re dreaming me, why don’t we choose a different story?” Knopf asks, lyrically personal and emotional without ever stooping to clichés.
The album isn’t perfect. It slows down and gets a bit too diffuse by the end, but Knopf’s plaintive voice washes through tracks that sway between the richly textured and almost Talk Talk-like minimalism. Some will argue this comparison, but there is a similarity in experience in listening to Ramona Falls and to a great Decemberists album. Not that they sound anything alike – there is no Old English folk ballad quality on Intuit, but as with Colin and company, Knopf creates complex songs that are aurally catchy but challenging both intellectually and structurally. Intuit is both smart and passionate and extremely, intuitively rewarding. (Barsuk 2009)
After evoking obvious reverence for classic Americana on their self-titled studio debut, the Band of Heathens morph their roots rock regimen with hints of blues, soul and a swampy moan. The allusions to the Band are still there of course – the new album’s “L.A. County Blues,” “What’s This World” and “Look At Miss Ohio” instantly reaffirm those references – but this time around they expand their palate, journeying up the Mississippi with “Golden Calf,” emulating an old-time gospel choir on “Shine a Light” and taking a funky furlough via “You’re Gonna Miss Me” and “Somebody Tell Me The Truth.” Varying the pace from unassuming shuffles to tattered refrains, the group colors the arrangements with rustic embellishment – banjo, Wurlitzer piano, dobro, mandolin, lap steel and forlorn vocals – clearly enhancing the set’s distinct retro feel. An able demonstration of genuine down-home resolve, One Foot in the Ether provides the band taking a sure step forward.
