Humanhood - The Weather Station: Review
The Weather Station
is the project of singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman and she's been releasing albums since the late 2000s. She had her breakthrough of sorts in 2021 when she signed to Fat Possum and released Ignorance, an album that achieved both more popularity and more acclaim than anything she had done before. I thought that record was fine, just okay, and I didn't really understand all the hype. Which is why I was even more surprised to find her quieter and far less acclaimed follow-up a year later completely irresistible. With subtle performances and infectious songwriting her 6th album How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars was by FAR my favorite so far and in conjunction with a few good singles leading into Humanhood, I was excited to see her build on her sound.
Humanhood led off with the single "Neon Signs" which I absolutely loved at the time and still do. It has the uptempo pep of tracks on Ignorance but the songwriting and perfectly understated refrains of it's even better follow-up. The second single "Window" continues that punchy trend with its vibrant sonic palette wasting absolutely no time getting underway. It does eventually slow down on the bridge with what I think are pan flutes making their way into the mix. It's fitting that the song is build around the lyric "my heart is racing as the window opens" because it's a heart-pounding tune.
I also really enjoyed the third single "Body Moves" with its dramatic pre-chorus that transitions into a gently understated hook that really grabs you. I love the synths that rest underneath everything and the extremely gentle way instrumentation is re-introduced into everything achieves such a tangible serenity. Speaking of serenity one of my favorite deep cuts "Irreversible Damage" is the very definition. It has a stiff, almost glitchy little drum machine that certainly stands out from the rest of the record, but not as much as the whisper quiet spoken word performance that spans the entire track. Given how much I love the very similar Cassandra Jenkins' song "Hard Drive" it won't surprise you to know I like "Irreversible Damage" a lot as well.
My other favorite deeps cuts from the record are a few more of its most intimate moments. "Ribbon" is a VERY gentle piano ballad that reminds me a lot of Tamara's last album even though it has cute little drums that eventually make their way into he song. It's really just the excellent way that her soft vocals glide and dance over the song that clicks with me and when she starts singing her own backup vocals it's a beautiful moment. "Lonely" is a creeping ballad with stable drums underneath that remind me of a slowcore song. The lyrics are full of specific names and references that don't mean much to me, but I can only imagine how much they mean to whoever she's singing it to.
The single I was less than crazy about was "Mirror" which sounds JUST like a Fiano Apple song with its rumbling drums and playful bass. While it does have some interesting lyrics I can't say any of the refrains have really stuck with me even after several listens. There's also the title track with its rootsier instrumentation. The song gets off to an okay start but the way it leaves its instrumentation to just wander aimlessly at the end is definitely underwhelming. Finally, I'm not crazy about the closer "Sweing" which once again has great drumming but the tune itself and the space it deploys throughout don't seem to add up to much.
Criticisms aside I like Humanhood quite a bit. While it doesn't have the impressive consistency of Tamara's previous album as The Weather Station, it delivers more variety and more punch among its livelier moments. Combining the energy of her breakthrough record with the wonderful songwriting of its underrated follow-up resulted in a record that's not only a great listen but does a great job showing off what makes her special. If you can't get enough of indie folk singer-songwriters, this is definitely a record that's well worth hearing. 7.5/10
For more singer-songwriters check out my review of Jasmine.4.t's You Are The Morning
