Microphones - Live in Japan February 19th, 21st, and 22nd, 2003
(K)
Phil Elvrum, AKA The Microphones, has thrown us an unforeseen, but interesting, curveball. Live in Japan February 19th, 21st, and 22nd, 2003, unlike most conventional live records, is comprised of new material. Rather than waiting to give these tunes the Elvrum treatment, with spurts of noise, distorted piano, and drums, we instead get a spare, loose sound. Where Elvrum was once wandering lonely peaks in the American North-West, this record finds him in the urbanity of large Japanese cities.
Live in Japan contains some of Elvrum's best, but also less successful moments. "Great Ghosts" is most certainly one of the finest pieces Elvrum has captured on wax. From the soft humming melody, the man coaxes us by stroking warm guitar lines—the perfect complement of voice and lone instrument. Other tracks, such as "We Squirm," are left wanting. On a number of songs, the faint hiss and open sound of a live setting, which could have supplemented Elvrum's solitary essence, fail to satisfy. Where the spontaneous moments might open and expand the Microphones sound, they tend to jar. Lyrically, sparklers can be found, and Elvrum does show signs of development. As he sings on "I Have Been Told That My Skin is Exceptionally Smooth": "I have been told that my skin is exceptionally smooth/but what good is that when to get to my heart/you have to crawl through long tunnels of sharp rock."
Phil definitely deserves credit, for Live in Japan is a relatively gutsy move. Overall, however, many of his fans will miss the Elvrum studio treatment. Despite offering new material, much of which is quite strong, Live in Japan suffers from many of the same pitfalls of its live record bretheren. Elvrum bears all, standing on a small stage in a distant country, and while he does falter a bit, need not worry—this man still has the glow.
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