Typhoon
Offerings

Fourth album for the Oregon ensemble led by Kylle Morton. A band that, compared to others of the same era and style, is unjustly underestimated in some respects. Probably on first listen the album will seem "already heard," and in part, that's true. The style cannot be defined as original, and the influences are easily recognizable in some episodes, ranging from Arcade Fire to The National. An intimate sound that extends to chamber. However, this album has many strengths (which, in part, also represent its main limitations if one assumes a different perspective). The main one is that it tells a story. In short, it's a concept album in which, despite some highlights like the opening "Wake" or the closing "Sleep" or "Darker" and "Chiaroiscuro," the individual compositions don't have their own precise autonomy and should be viewed in the context of the overall narrative. Essentially, the story is about a person who loses their memory and goes through a path of depression, fighting to maintain their identity. The compositions punctuate this descent into the underworld and this struggle, both with the solid writing of the lyrics (sophisticated and rich in quotations) and with the arrangements and sound that form a true soundtrack of the protagonist's human experience. At times, a great emotional and cerebral intensity is reached. Is one's identity truly encapsulated in one's memories? The journey one undertakes while listening to the album and reading its lyrics (which are fundamental for this work) is fascinating, albeit undeniably distressing. The result is a mature composition that, despite a considerable length (14 songs, 4 parts, over seventy minutes), holds up and has no significant drops in tension. An album somewhat out of its time, a time when music is mainly consumed like a chocolate: a delight (when there is one) of a single moment. A work that deserves attention and does not allow for distracted listening, it demands consideration and an open mind. An ambitious and successful record.