Microphones In 2020 - The Microphones: Review
are a long defunct music project of Phil Elverum who has been releasing music under the Mount Eerie name since 2003. Since then The Microphones and in particular the 2001 record The Glow, Pt. 2 have become one of the most universally acclaimed indie projects of all time. Just a few months ago Phil anounced the first Microphones record in 17 years which would consist of one 44 minute track titled Microphones In 2020.
Review By Lavender:
I have had some negative attention directed at me for opinions of the music of Phil Elverum over just the few short years I've been doing this. It started with 2017's A Crow Looked At Me a record I responded to positively, just not AS positively as many other outlets and die hard Phil fans did. Since then it hasn't swayed as I wasn't a particularly big fan of 2018's Now Only and I even skipped reviewing a collaborative project released under the Mount Eerie name last year. Despite what some Phil stans would tell you I'm actually a fan of his work and I was really interesting in what this record was going to sound like given that Phil was returning to his old moniker after almost 20 years. As it turns out I like this record a lot, Phil treats this one long song like it is truly one composition and the result is many solid passages, even if the first and last portions of the album are probably the weakest.
The first almost 8 minutes of the song is a long but very sweet strumming guitar intro. Even though I think it is nice to listen to and progresses a little bit it does feel like it goes on for a few minutes too long especially to start the record off it can be hard not to drift from this section of the album, but from that point is kicks off and doesn't slow down for a while. When the vocals finally kick in Phil establishes the records mission statement from the very start, diving into his memories and exactly what those moments mean to him today. The first two lyrical passages are much more poetic and less direct than many that come after and while his poetry is interesting I find the coming narrative passages more interesting.
The transition into more specific narrative memory moments kicks off with the first electronic instrumentation on the album with some electric guitar chords roaring before fading into the distance. This is one of the first of many times he references older Microphones and Mount Eerie tracks through his lyrics and it is met with a rise in instrumentation marked by to the point drumming. He tells a genuinely kind of funny story about watching Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon while thinking about what he wants to convey with his music. The instrumental bridge between lyrical passages here is marked by some very low tone chords that really take their time drifting away behind some distortion fuzz.
When he comes back it is with even more focused storytelling that is met with a sea of backing vocals that appear just as surprisingly as the guitar blaring before them. This passage takes us back to Phil being 17 and first coming up with the idea for The microphones. He talks about influences like Red House Painters and Sonic Youth as well as a relationship from his youth and how it inevitably seemed to fade away like everything else. He also makes a really cool reference to a Stereolab show that sort of changed the way he looked at making his own music. A show that was clearly impactful to him as it is followed with a flushed rise in instrumentation that hits before fading away and coming back again shortly after. After this he takes us "even deeper into the mist" back to his early adolescence for another non-musical story about camping with his family.
Around 27 minutes into the song there is an ambient style breakdown where synth chords are introduced before the entire instrumental begins to blend together into a bright but hazy blur that i really enjoy. With a song that is this long I reveled in these creative interlude style moments and I think it could have been even longer as it helps with both the songs compositional prowess and the freshness of it's storytelling.
The next story comes from a pat of Phil's life that I think the most fans are going to be familiar with because its around when The Glow Pt. 2 came out. He even makes specific reference to it as this portion of the song features the most complete instrumentation of any so far with sharp drums and driving guitar work. Rather than talking much about his music or inspiration in this portion he gets really really introspective through vivid memories and their impact on him.
The whole final portion of the record is lyric heavy and while it isn't my favorite piece of the song there are still some highlights. At one point he makes a reference to Real Death one of my favorite Mount Eerie songs which is pretty gut wrenching on its own, but even more so the fact that he is reflecting on it so bluntly. After this he explains the transition from The Microphones into Mount Eerie in a way that I think is pretty interesting and adds some context to the artistic choices behind it. In the records final verse he gets very meta referencing the creating of the song itself while reflecting on how stagnated he feels learning the same life lessons over and over again. He ends the song with two lyrics that will feel familiar and fitting for fans, "Now Only" and "There's No End".
I liked Microphones In 2020 more than I expected to. Phil's story telling is as good as ever but he really doesn't skip out on the instrumental here, one of my biggest complaints about A Crow Looked At Me. This album really is treated like one long song and I like a lot more of it than I don't, particularly given that my least favorite passages come at the beginning and then end it is wonderful getting lost in the nearly 40 minutes of wonderful music in-between. I have no idea what Phil will do next but I will certainly be listening to see if he can get a streak of great releases going. 7.5/10
Album Cover Review By Tyler Judson:
I really like this cover! I love the collage style and all of the aspects that give this cover dimension. The layers are distinct and each have their own quality, the main imagery is also very strong and isn't overwhelmed by the surroundings. The colors could've been a little bit more saturated but I love the palette. 7.5/10
For more indie folk check out my review of Animal Collective's Bridge To Quiet here
