Friday, May 8, 2009

HEAVEN KNOWS (WHERE I'VE BEEN)


Listen to HEAVEN KNOWS (WHERE I'VE BEEN) by Lambert & Nuttycombe.

Out of nowhere, Corbett made a comment to me the other day that was nice but over-generous: that Lambert & Nuttycombe was "my greatest discovery." Of course, he meant only as between our circle of friends. But even so limited, it wasn't quite true. For sure, I was the first guy I knew to download the album, but I really only seized on a couple of tracks and stuck with them.

So after he had brought them back up, I decided to have another listen to the album. And now, I'm hooked hard. Take this song, Heaven Knows (Where I've Been). I tell you, this one ticks every box for me. It's succinct, the singing is very structuring, the melody moves in interesting ways, and with the harmonies, the arrangement (particularly the ending), there's plenty of small dramas.

By the way, it sounds a little like a Grizzly Bear song doesn't it? It's more of a Grizzly Bear song than even the "Horn of Plenty" songs are. I've got Grizzly Bear on my mind a little bit, since I finally downloaded their new album (caveat: will still buy, go to the concert if I can get tickets, etc). I like it, but I really do wonder if we've not seen the best of them. Like the album closer (which you can stream here). It's a pretty song, but for some reason it sounds very Radiohead/Coldplay/U2, an "important" stadium rock style album closer (caveat no. 2: not that I've ever heard the end of a Coldplay album!). I might be overreading things a little bit, I admit.

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5 comments:

Corbett said...

I'd like you to post L&N's "Clover" with Calexico's "Woven Birds".

Corbett said...

By the way, the comparison to GB is way out there...and right on!

bill said...

sorry for not responding to the earlier comment--I think that you should, since I don't really know calexico and i've already had two bites of the apple with the 'at home' album.

re the GB comparison, it was just happenstance, but on 'heaven knows' in particular it's unmistakeable once you hear it. be interested to hear your reaction when you get the new album

Corbett said...

I've already got it and I'm, sadly, a little underwhelmed.

I think Department of Eagles is more interesting anyway...

bill said...

maybe, maybe. the ambience of the last record was something special, and once you see them live, you realize it's not an essential part of their sound. a couple of real strong growers on it though.

dept of eagles has some high points but pretty mixed as an entire record.