Ryan's Top Ten Albums - The Glow Pt. 2 - The Microphones

                                                    The Glow Pt. 2 - The Microphones


Released 2001 - Genre: Indie Folk, Ambient, Noise Rock

The second album I wanted to cover for this blog is The Glow Pt.2 by The Microphones. While releasing around the same time as The Unicorns album I discussed previously, and similarly falling under the indie umbrella, this seminal indie-folk release is a far cry from the whimsical soundscapes discussed prior. Phil Elverum’s second major release under the Microphones moniker features free flowing and often harsh soundscapes that take the listener on a journey for the entire twenty track runtime. Elverum recorded and produced the entire album himself, in his hometown of Olympia, Washington on a 16 track analog tape. His unconventional recording techniques influenced the album’s abstract and noisy sound, which became a staple of much of his work going forward. And I won’t deny that my first listen of this album wasn’t very enjoyable in hindsight, it took time for it to grow on me as I began to understand how special it was. It takes the rock and folk genres and does something completely new with it, adding elements of quiet and foreboding ambience, and noisy sonic hellscapes in a way that doesn’t feel forced, it all plays together nicely and creates a unique listening experience.

Phil takes a very unique approach to writing lyrics as well, with most of his lyrics tackling vague and unconventional concepts, while always tying into the themes of nature and death. The lyrics are often very poetic in style and flow, not really fitting into conventional verse-chorus-verse structure. The first run of tracks alone features such a diverse array of lyrical themes and instrumentation. “I Want Wind to Blow” starts off the album with droning acoustic guitars and a marching beat that transition effortlessly into the title track. “The Moon” stands out as a lyrically potent point on the record, even with the vocals buried under layers of blaring organs and horns. While it can be a daunting listen, The Glow Pt. 2 serves as a great entry point into the discography of Phil Elverum, who has one of the most diverse and interesting musical catalogs I have explored.


-Ryan


The Glow Pt. 2 (title track) - Here is a link to the title track from the album, which I feel does a good job capturing the general feel of the record.

I Want Wind to Blow & The Glow Pt.2 Live in 2019 - And here is a video I found of Phil recently performing a few songs from the record live, (he now releases music under the name Mount Eerie, but occasionally returns to songs from his past projects)

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