Tall Tall Trees’ self-titled debut album was phenomenal. The NYC quartet seamlessly blended banjo-plunking bluegrass, moody folk, and driving indie rock into one ceaselessly interesting and fun album. It was part comedic lyricism, part experimental montage, part emotive ballad, and a song called “Shit.” It had everything. “moment” matches this fun extroversion with equally powerful introversion and emotion.
Tall Tall Trees creates music with no restrictions whatsoever. Any conventional ideas about folk, rock, or country are left with their record collections. Only too often an artist buries their (often subpar) songwriting beneath noise, reverb, and “lo-fi” production. The songs are often one-sided and boring, never going anywhere and never innovating. Tall Tall Trees are exactly the opposite of that.
“moment” introduces itself far more differently than their debut. Instead of a plunking banjo and metaphors about outer space, the album starts with “Highwire”, a rather unassuming song about emotional elation. But it wouldn’t be at all like Tall Tall Trees to stay there. At 2:20, the song suddenly blasts off into indie rock territory, moving from style to style effortlessly, ever “elated.” The song ends with the clashing of distorted guitars, synth noise, and a steep vocal rise. It’s rare and refreshing to see a band grab hold of the art form that is music, curb preconceptions, and make something truly original.
And, that’s what “moment” is: original. Though one may be able to make stylistic comparisons, Tall Tall Trees creates music without restrictions, blending styles and genres to create one ultimate sound. At first, the rainbow hues of the cover didn’t seem to fit with the music, but now, after hearing this melding pot of an album, it’s the only fitting cover I can imagine.
Enough of these generalizations! If I have one thing to say, it’s that “Men and Mountains” has become one of my all-time favorite tracks. Blending Fleet Foxes‘ organic folk and harmonies, Brian Eno‘s sonic soundscapes, and Sufjan Stevens‘ emotional lyricism this seven-minute track (don’t the critics love long songs?) flows beautifully. At four minutes, it breaks down, leaving only an electric piano and beautiful vocal harmonies. “You be the one/I’ll be the whisper” sings the group, a lyric full of discreet intimacy that ranks among the most beautiful moments of any song I’ve ever heard.
“Lonely Weekend/The Elk” finds the band combining laid-back stop-and-go riffs (channeling Wilco‘s ”Company in My Back”) with rock/electric blues choruses and a rather jamming outro. “Waiting on the Day” is another stand-out song, blending live bluegrass jams with uptempo folk-rock. Banjos plunk away animatedly while Wurlitzers and electric guitars provide a spirited beat. It’s backroads country with a twist.
The album ends appropriately, with a slow-burning, contemplative tune called “Nothingless.” It’s a song about a bittersweet break-up. Frontman Mike Savino sings in a melancholy tone “I want to wish you the best/nothing less.” It’s a very contemplative moment for Tall Tall Trees, especially considering on their last record they were singing about falling in love with “The Girl at the Chinese Food Restaurant.” (It didn’t end up well; look it up. It’ll make your day). But, “moment” and “Tall Tall Trees” aren’t to be compared. They are two very different records coming from two very different places. An excerpt from their official biography sums up where the record comes from the best: “Originally sparked by a camping trip into the Alaskan wilderness, the album tells the tale of a man searching for connection with his environment and the people around him. On the final night of their trip, exhausted and beaten nearly mute by the elements, the Tall Tall Trees sat around a campfire in a rocky, dried-out riverbed when the clouds parted, revealing the biggest moon they’d ever seen. One word was uttered. Moment.”
“moment” is a beautiful, compelling album full of many great surprises and sonic eccentricities. It flawlessly melds genres and styles into great showcases of music that never seem to overreach or overwhelm, but fit snugly into the world the band has crafted for them. While their debut was eclectic, quirky, and extroverted, “moment” finds Tall Tall Trees in a much more serious place, concerned with introversion, emotion, and soul-searching through the valleys and mountains of rural folk and indie rock.
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