Block: Gartman - Each New Nostalgic Moment
(Pushpin)
The first two songs on Each New Nostalgic Moment actually sound like one song. Even after many listens, I still hadn't noticed. It was kind of weird when I figured it out. Nevertheless, these two songs are a strong opening for the album. The first song begins with vibrating synthesizers and soft sounds of ocean and clanking. It is quite ambient, and then picked guitars whose notes overlap and resonate gradually come in. But as soon as you hear the first note of bass, that's when the second song, called "Cold Season" starts. "Cold Season" builds gradually, with more instruments and vocals coming in slowly. A tenor saxophone plays a steady, warm accompaniment and there is also brushed drumming and chimes and a soft female vocalist.
The rest of the songs on the album follow this mood. All are relatively sparse, but they are beautiful. This is the type of album that's good to listen to when you are hanging out inside on a cold Sunday afternoon. The songs are soothing, with a mix of quiet instruments—guitar, gentle drums, cello, violin, saxophone, and clarinet. There is also lovely percussion and other sounds mixed in here and there. The strings are especially pleasant, and I think people who like The Rachel's might be into Block: Gartman. Especially songs like "Giovanna," which is lovely acoustic guitar, cello, violin, and clarinet that seem to weave and float around one another while keeping the original melody.
Actually, quite a few songs on this album sound similar to "Giovanna," but with a little variation. In "Definition," there is an organ and a sad cello and echoey picked guitars. It is mournful and almost ethereal. "Party Favor" has the cello and more interweaving guitars. "Palindrome" is similar to the first two songs in that it builds from a sparse beginning to a more interesting and complex ending that features percussion, clarinet, and strings.
Each New Nostalgic Moment is tranquil and a little haunting. It has a dark tone to it, which can be intriguing, but seems overplayed at times, like in "The Rest Is Silence," which I felt was melodramatic.
It has the same sad picked guitars that weave a pretty melody, but then a male and female sing/moan a ghostly song—maybe they are calling each other from beyond the grave. It's a little overdone. Also, all of the songs are pretty, but after a while, I felt that I wanted a little change, since they are so similar to one another, with the picked guitars and the mournful strings.
Each New Nostalgic Moment is worth your while because most of it is so enchanting. The guitars and strings—especially the cello, which is my favorite—create an otherworldly sound that is just perfect for many moments. Especially in, say, nostalgic moments when you want the music to be serene and just right.
|
