Boxharp - Loam Arcane

"I cash my checks and face the facts:

that some producer with computers

fixes all my shitty tracks, 

these days"

In the modern music context there is a basic underlying reality that has begun to overtake the creative model of the music industry. Ever since Les Paul invented overdubbing in the 1950s there has been a gradual recognition that the way music is recorded and presented in the recorded format is as important as the writing of the music itself. At first this knowledge was the behind the scenes knowledge of record executives. Good engineers and producers are the real hit-makers of the record industry, and since their talents are rarely recognized by the general public, it is rarer that they become prey to the pitfalls of fame. This has led to some ridiculously long and storied careers in individuals who, quietly and behind the scenes, have worked on every major hit in a several decade period. 

Recognition of the value of producers began to filter into the mainstream in a number of ways. The rise of Jamaican music made local producers very wealthy, turning them into superstars in their own right. Similarly, the success of Motown records is largely accepted to have come down to the talents of a handful of very talented producers. With the rise of electronic music the distinction between a producer and an artist has become very blurred, though most members of the general public are still unclear on the role they fill. The reaction of those in the bizz to these developments can be somewhat poorly summarized by two conflicting notes in modern indie music culture, the first being the above quote by Ben Folds from "Rockin the Suburbs, and the second being the career of Danger Mouse.

On the one hand, most of us really like the myth of The Artist, who suffers for his/her art and is all emotional and has this natural talent and passion that comes out in music that is spontaneous and moving. All of which is bullshit, all musicians know you need to work like a dog in order to get good enough to sound like you aren't trying. But the idea that a producer can come in and Frankenstein these tracks into a hit is offensive and disturbing in many ways. 

On the other hand, you have an increasing number of producers who are getting recognition for the fact that they have a pivotal creative role in the creation of music. I think this is kind of exemplified by Danger Mouse. Though he is notoriously shy of the spotlight, he is a dynamic creative force, and is not shy about putting his creative imprint on things in the studio. The result has been a mess of absurdly good music, from Gnarles Barkley to the second Gorillaz album. 

Scott Solter ain't no Danger Mouse. But Boxharp is kind of like an Enya-ish, new age equivalent of Gnarles Barkley. Solter is a producer who has worked with an absurd laundry list of talented hippie indie acts, including the Mountain Goats. Wendy Allen is his SO I guess, and provides the vocal talent. She has a nice voice and has been in a number of indie acts I haven't heard of and don't care enough to look up. 

So this is a little 4 song EP that I think portrays a pretty good range, from quiet and interesting, to quiet and uninteresting. The first track or two are pretty good, interesting percussion and song structures. They would make great album tracks on a much better album. Most of the album is very very limited in its use of percussion, instead opting for atmospheric backgrounds to frame Allen's pretty but meandering vocals. Multiple points on this album remind me of video game background tracks, but not the stuff from exciting fight scenes. I am pretty sure "The Postcard" was inspired by the theme music used for the Flood in Halo. 

None of this is terrible, it’s just not terribly interesting. It’s all very pretty and that is nice, but its more atmosphere than anything else. My life being the clusterfuck that it is, I don’t seem to have much time for music listening, and I’m definitely not making time in my day for this. If I saw this in the store I would probably not pay for it. If I saw it on the street I might pick it up. It is nice, and I don't wish them ill, but I am probably selling this. Definitely not interesting enough to keep.