Pale Air Singers – S/T – Album Review

We’re all about full disclosure here at Citizen Dick, and given that fact I am going to let you all in on a few secrets right now.  First, though you are likely reading this review on a lovely Tuesday morning, I actually wrote it last night before I went to bed.  Second, I accidentally got fairly drunk on Monday night.  I will let you draw your own conclusions from those two bits of information; I’m confident that you’ll figure it out where I’m going with that.  My state of inebriation likely means different things to different people, but what it means for those of you reading this is that today’s review will be short, to the point, and likely riddled with spelling and grammatical errors.  Under normal circumstances I would probably just say “fuck it” and write this another time, but today’s album is one that I have been digging for the better part of a month now and this review has been put off for too long already.  Call it foolish, call it overly dedicated to my art, but either way I am settling in with a big glass of ice water and doing my best to get through this without passing out.

Pale Air Singers is not so much a band as it is a collaborative recording project between two established Canadian acts; The Cape May and Run Chico Run.  This blending of two bands provides us with multiple vocalists who posses very different styles with Clinton St. John bringing a warm and booming tenor in contrast to the softer and more delicate voices of Matt Skillings and Thomas Shields.  With a lot of projects like this that kind of contrast can lead to a back and forth kind of record, where it almost seems like the two bands are taking turns performing their own tracks, but with Pale Air Singers the sum of the collaboration reaches much farther than either of the individual bands ever has on their own.  Spanning diverse genres from traditional Americana to full-on electronic indie rock that recalls shades of mid-career era Radiohead (think OK Computer and Kid A in particular), the collaborative’s self-titled debut effort breaks any notion of conforming to a particular sound, and it does so masterfully.  There have been a few albums that I have mentioned so far this year as being on my ‘short list’ for later consideration as the best of 2009, and this one is solidly near the top of that list.

The album begins with a pair of tracks showcasing the folkier side of the record, with “Swill and Grits” being of particular interest thanks to its driving rhythm and sublime chaotic finish.  In fact, it may be one of my favorite tracks of the year so far given the absurd amount of times I have listened to it in the last four weeks or so.  From there things shift to a more electronic vibe, with “Moving Floor” easing you into the more heavily synthesized tracks that follow with an eerie, atmospheric vibe.  The next two tracks are much more notably electronic, with “Horse Trade” being a rollicking standout that at times would sound as at home on Kid A as it does here on this album.  Moving on, “Alomeia” serves to rein things back in a bit and bring the mood back to the Americana vibe that was present at the start.  Though not really a folk song exactly, it is a soaring indie pop gem that brings us from the synthesizers back to guitars and snare drums.  Following that, “Reeling Mind, Glistening Face” takes a radical left turn, breaking out with dark and sinister vaudevillian organs and muted synths just before “The Last of Jim Prior” brings us to a point that is as far country as the record goes at any other point.  Finishing the record out, closer “Blind Watchmaker” brings things back down a bit by starting quietly with a consistent build before leading us away with some hauntingly beautiful, almost chanting vocals.

Well, believe it or not I somehow made it through.  I forgot to mention that the album actually drops one week from today (your today, meaning Tuesday) on May 19th from Flemish Eye Records, so rather than going back and editing I am telling you now.  You should definitely buy it.  You should also listen to “Swill and Grits,” which may be my favorite track on the album.  It reminds me of an old Midlake song that I used to be obsessed with, but I think this is actually better.

Pale Air Singers – “Swill and Grits”