Radiogram
"All The Way Home" CD
Endearing
Records
Genres: ambient folk, indie pop, folk rock
Endearing Records
PO Box 69009
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3P 2G9
Canada
April 2002 |
"All
The Way Home" is the beautiful sophomore release from Vancouver's
Radiogram. Radiogram, although only a few years old, has become one
the most acclaimed and well-respected bands in Canada. With that
knowledge, it came as no surprise to me that there isn't a single weak
spot on this collection of ambient folk; every song is completely
beautiful. "Gone To Stay," one of the ten tracks here, is a
wonderful song; it features beautiful instrumentation and lovely
leading vocals - the latter of which is provided by Ken Beattie.
The trumpet also works great, lending the the track a warm, classical
accent.
Meanwhile, "Summer Song Summer" is one of the greatest
tunes to come out of Vancouver in a long while. The male-on-female
vocals add a lot to this song, and the wonderful lyrics only add to
the excellence ("My idea of a perfect day/Would be to lie in bed
and melt away..."). Despite its immediate upbeat tendencies, this
song has the power to induce crying on a sad day, so watch out!
The closing track, "Not Here," is an eight minute epic of
ambient folk; you don't come across such an emotionally potent song
every day. Beattie's wonderful vocals sing the melodies flawlessly,
and the instruments help to further build the piece's mood. When the
song finally comes to a close, don't be surprised if you're lying on
your back, looking at the stars.
Altogether, "All The Way Home" is a moody, moving album
that just adds to the list of Endearing Records' magnificent releases.
This is, without doubt, one of the best albums of the year.
93%
Matt Shimmer |