Globelamp

The second in an occasional series of posts about artists that I've stumbled across via Twitter, sees me return to that musical hotbed of Olympia, WA. Home of - and where have you been all my life - Oh, Rose, it's also the jumping-off point for Dana Point émigré Globelamp (or Elizabeth Le Fey as she's probably better known to family and friends), who also appears to have the same delightful knack of turning out thoughtful, intelligent - and mightily distinctive - music... As her album Star Dust effortlessly demonstrates... 

I'd decided that - since this album had caused me to have another WTF (or more accurately WTF!?!) moment - what I really needed, to do this album justice was a nice long flight, iPod set to auto-repeat and a scribble-pad and stick to try and put down a few coherent thoughts... Although, that being said, the last time I tried this approach it wasn't exactly a roaring success...

Having played the album to death (indeed I've been listening on a continual loop while I've tried to get this post to make some kind of sense), I kind of got the impression that Elizabeth is a bit of free-spirit (and quite probably with a "not-going-to-take-shit-from-anyone" attitude to boot - I found an interview in Ear Peace that kind of reinforces my opinion...)

So where to start? Well, firstly there's a real punk ethos to this album - not in a "my mate knows four chords, I know two. Hear all six..." kind of  way - more in how Elizabeth has just crafted a knock-out selection of tracks - that truthfully are all over the map in terms of styles - yet just work. The end result is an incredibly theatrical experience and an album that is simply scrumptious - because for all the experimentation, Elizabeth never loses the feel for the melody - there really are some great tunes here...

The album's opener "Breathing ritual", for instance is nailed-on in this respect. There's some deliberate tape hiss and soft gentle strumming on the intro before percussion and guitar set the pace - a beautiful, lilting, West Coast alt-rocker - but by the time you recognise this, you've already realised that it's all about Elizabeth's shimmering - yet crystalline - vocals. A voice that is married to ethereal, dreamy lyrics that combine to paint a surreal aural landscape.

In a similar vein, I do particularly enjoy "Warrior," even though it's arguably the most straight-forward song on the album (IMHO, of course). At face value it's built upon a simple indie-folk melody, albeit one that has been ever so expertly woven and with the vocals taking on an almost velvety quality. In fact it's Elizabeth's vocals that are really centre-stage of the entire album. While she may not have the vocal range of (say) Highasakite's Ingrid Helene Håvik, the inflection she brings to her voice is breathtaking.

This is an album that refuses to allow you to be lulled into a false sense of expectation... There's the anarchic structure of "Witch house" - it's an alternate-cabaret of a song - all lo-fi guitar driven alt-rock which gives way to enchanting, haunting, vocals that duel with the at-times disjointed rhythms; the sombre piano on "Sunrise" that subsides as the song gives way to the homespun philosophy reminiscent of the Marine Girls; "Daddy's gone" with it's gloriously shambolic intro that launches into a bluesy tub-thumper complete with gorgeous harmonica breaks; the added viola on "Crystal" that paints the song a Velvet Underground-y psychedelic hue...

I could go on; every - EVERY - track on this album is worthy of review, but each time that I listen I find myself focusing on a different nuance that's been carefully planted - this album is like a maze where the enjoyment is found in not so much reaching the end, but getting lost amongst the labyrinth of musical twists and turns.

The album's closer "Constant is the calling" - is a perfect example of this - it's a nicely-paced slower number, piano and guitar all once again framed by Elizabeth's bewitching vocals... and then there's a chorus that wouldn't be out of place in Lionel Bart's musical "Oliver!" There's a haunting strings to fade... before a few bars of deeply distorted bass jolt you back to reality...

"And You just wanted to name your children after beautiful things,
To remind them, to remind them
And now people name their children after your children,
To remind them, to remind them..."
"Constant is calling"

The album is arguably one of this year's most beguiling releases and certainly one of the more challenging, but conversely the most enjoyable to review. I humbly suggest that you - dear reader - give this album a spin. You may have an opinion as to whether "Star Dust" is lo-fi, indie, psychedelic, folk (or psychedelia-folk, as I read somewhere) or all - or indeed, none - of the above? Frankly, when an album sounds this good, who cares?

Oh, and have I mentioned Elizabeth's back-catalogue?

Globelamp Bandcamp page

"Star Dust" (Bandcamp), (Gazelle Recordings), (iTunes)

There's a sombre footnote to this album. The album is actually dedicated to Elizabeth's best friend and biggest fan, who died just prior to her 24th birthday. This is album is a fitting memorial and I hope that her memory will drive Elizabeth to continue to make music as wonderful and innovative as this...