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(R) Renaissance man Krist Kreuger
is the central brain bank of Portland's Southerly, a project
that started out as a one-man endeavor but has in recent years grown into a
full-fledged ensemble. After delivering Best Dressed and Expressionless
for the Orchard imprint three years ago, Kreuger
and his supporting cast jumped to the fledgling Greyday
to deliver the brilliantly titled (and executed) Storyteller and the
Gossip Columnist. There is not a single bad track on the album; Kreuger has penned 14 lustrous little pop songs, and
producer Robert Bartleson has polished them up just
enough to give them that extra sparkle.
As the best releases usually are, Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist
is inspired by a whole bunch of different genres and artists. Imagine shoegaze at it's finest, made
more orchestral but at the same time a bit folky,
and then steered in a traditional pop song direction and fleshed out quite a
bit, and you're close to the sound of Southerly. The sound itself is painted
a bit dark and introverted, but at times it explodes and delivers a
surprisingly upbeat, almost happy song. These sunnier tracks are welcome
little surprises, and the best example of this would be "Cold
Caller," which finds Southerly traveling back about 13 years in time, to
England, circa Definitely
Maybe, the debut record from the kings of that age, Oasis. Other songs
smell of Slowdive, Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, and
other heavy hitters from across the board. Even though Kreuger's
music is so influenced by other artists, in different genres, Southerly
sounds only like Southerly, and the band never gets lost in the deep forest
of genres they have decided to make their home. All of this makes for a very
interesting album, one that makes clear the talent inherent in its creation.
So many artists have tried to combine such disparate elements, but most of
them have failed miserably and come off sounding scattered. Kreuger's compositions, however, approach sheer genius, a
fact that can't be mentioned enough.
Finding and delivering catchy melodies is perhaps Kreuger's
strongest asset, and every song on Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist
has that little extra something that begs for a repeat listen. Even in the
rare moments when the album's pop sensitivity borders on being played out,
there's something there to recapture your attention, just at the right
moment. A nice little riff, an interesting melody, or a fascinating lyric -
they all become small lifesavers floating around in the universe that is
Southerly. Listening to the album one gets the sense that this didn't happen
by chance, that the infectiousness of Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist
was well thought out, and that is a comforting fact.
You would do yourself a huge favor to check out Storyteller and the Gossip
Columnist, and should you decide to instruct everyone you know to do the
same, you'll certainly be afforded the title of Tastemaker. As the album's
title suggests, Krist Kreuger is a truly talented
storyteller, and with Southerly he has delivered just the kind of music the
world needs.
- Lost At Sea (Rating:
9.5/10)
(R) Southerly's new album Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist
is the good Badly Drawn Boy album we've been waiting for since 2002,
chockfull of quiet moments, string swells, and pretty bits of piano.
Songwriter and vocalist Krist Krueger's delivery recalls the aforementioned
Boy, even in the phrasing of his lyrics, though he also sounds a bit like
Josh Caterer of the Smoking Popes at times. There's an atmosphere created
here that feels like sitting fireside with a loved one—until the strings and
drums crash together and it all becomes a little bit epic ("I burn,
burn, burn when the black dogs retreat," indeed).".
- Portland Mercury
(R) Krist Krueger is a
boundless talent hiding among our ranks. The Portland artist's lush,
orchestral pop is reminiscent of Richard Ashcroft, Elliott Smith, Brendan
Benson and Stuart Staples, and, yes, his songs are often even better than
theirs. Under the band name Southerly, Krueger recorded his second album,
Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist, with his own full orchestra and horn
arrangements. The arrangements flesh out the songs, which center on Krueger's
otherwise intimate singing style. Even in his solo performances, you can
almost hear the sweeping and swooning violins, horns and backing vocals that
surround Krueger's every note.
- Willamette Week
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