Released - 9/27/10
Label - True Panther Sounds
BLURB - Glasser's first full length sparkles with charming imagery and worldly tones. Listening to "Ring" makes you feel like you're wandering through some forest in a Disney movie. While this album isn't necessarily anything that mainstream music fans would sink their teeth into, it's surprisingly inviting and warm. If I had to classify this record it would fall somewhere in between dreamy electronic pop and avant garde. There is a precision and attention to detail with Glasser that fans of Dirty Projectors and Animal Collective can rejoice in. While "Ring" isn't in my personal musical arena (yet), you can't discount the fact that Glasser is amazingly talented and has a special way of illustrating ideas and themes through their unique orchestrations.
Rating - 6.5 out of 10
FULL STORY - Glasser had been getting some buzz right before CMJ this year, and having no clue who the band (which is a 'she') is - I figured I'd add them to my list of bands to see. Unfortunately the venue Glasser was playing (Coco66 in Brooklyn) was shut down due to over-capacity as she started playing her second song. From that point on I really put Glasser on the back burner and forgot about her until just recently, as I just now picked up their record.
'Apply' begins the record with ominous tribal beats and dark lines of synthesizers. It's actually pretty scary, I recommend listening to this song with the lights on. However, as the track grows, warmer textures do surface and you get your first impression of singer Cameron Mesirow's heavenly voice. The song remains much too slow for my liking, but at least now I know what I'm getting myself in to.
'Home' begins with a much more upbeat clap track as descending xylophone solos (yes, xylophone solos) form a simple, initial hook. From here on out the song takes on a gigantic, worldly atmosphere. Mesirow's voice shines and provides an endless depth to the song as string sections and reverb are funneled in by the truck-load. The track has an epic, larger than life quality to it and would be greatly served if it were to be thrown into the background of a film.
The best song on the album is 'Mirrorage,' and is likely the most uptempo. Chimes and bells add a shimmering glow to this track as once again Mesirow's vocals take center stage. Adding to the brilliance of this track, is the manner in which background lines of vocals are constantly being filtered in and out, with each phrase complimenting the previous one. The song has a very sincere and poetic tone that is carefully reflected in the lyrics:
"We live alone, we live alone. Unearthed, a great divide, a dark untrusted plane. The self a lonely terrain with temporary lines. How can I trust in you?"
"Ring" really isn't an album that has any hits on it. It doesn't have any stand out tracks - hooks and melodies are hard to come by. But that being said, the record does a tremendous job painting colors and moods through a collection of well thought out textures and instrumentation. Generally, each track fades seamlessly into the next, creating an album that plays more like one singular film score, as opposed to nine separate songs. While "Ring" isn't something I'll be listening to every day, it's definitely one of those records that's good to have around for a rainy day.
Tracks
1.) Apply
2.) Home
3.) Glad
4.) Plane Temp
5.) T
6.) Tremel
7.) Mirrorage
8.) Treasure of We
9.) Clamour
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